该文称美国陆军部长于周四访问了德特里克堡，以便更多地了解正在与COVID-19作战的工作，在生物安全3级实验室中，美国科学家研究了一种新的冠状病毒样品，正式冠名为SARS-CoV-2。
Army secretary tours Fort Detrick laboratory


The secretary of the Army visited Fort Detrick on Thursday in order to learn more about the work being done to combat COVID-19. 6park.com
In a biosafety level 3 laboratory, a scientist with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases worked with a sample of a new coronavirus, officially called SARS-CoV-2. 6park.com
USAMRIID received a sample of the virus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Kathleen Gibson, chief of the Core Laboratory Services Division at USAMRIID. 6park.com
Researchers at the laboratory are cultivating the virus in order to have enough for future tests and other needs. That can include making sure a test result is correct. At USAMRIID, the virus is multiplied, purified and then divided among projects, Gibson said. 6park.com
USAMRIID is part of the Laboratory Response Network, which means it can test samples in a diagnostic capacity, she said. 6park.com
USAMRIID and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, which oversees the laboratory, are two tools in the fight against COVID-19, an “extraordinary challenge,” said Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy at a press conference after his tour. 6park.com
There will be an infusion of funding for the Army to help address COVID-19, McCarthy said. 6park.com
Some of that money will likely go toward research conducted at USAMRIID and other units under USAMRDC, such as the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. 6park.com
“The heroes in this fight are going to be some of the people we saw today,” said Gen. James C. McConville, Army chief of staff. 6park.com
While there was an infusion of funding going toward COVID-19, and USAMRDC will receive some, $104 million in funding is still being withheld from USAMRIID and the U.S. Army Research Institute of Chemical Defense at Aberdeen Proving Ground, said Brig. Gen. Michael Talley, USAMRDC commander. 6park.com
USAMRDC is working to have the funding released, Talley said. But in terms of funding to address SARS-CoV-2 research, they are fine, he said. 6park.com
The coronavirus is handled in a biosafety level three laboratory requires researchers to don a gown, face shield and an n95 respirator mask. It is a step down from the highest biosafety level, BSL 4, where pathogens such as Ebola are studied. Still, most people would not encounter a BSL 3 laboratory.
And BSL 3 and BSL 4 work was halted for some time at USAMRIID after the CDC found lapses in biosecurity. Since then, the CDC has visited twice, Talley said, each time allowing more work. 6park.com
‘That’s continuing to be a gradual process back to full operations capabilities, if you will,” he said. 6park.com
SARS-CoV-2 is not a select agent, which falls under the Federal Select Agent Program overseen by the CDC, Talley said, which means it does not fall under the same restrictions as other pathogens, such as Ebola, which is a select agent. 6park.com
“In fact, when it was known that USAMRIID would be involved, the first phone call with the CDC, they assured me, ‘No, we absolutely need USAMRIID’s help on this,’ like they had with other responses,” Talley said. 6park.com
COVID-19 and Fort DetrickFort Detrick is operating at Forced Health Protection Code Bravo, while taking Code Charlie measures, Talley said. That means they are using maximum distance and maximum telework. 6park.com
Fort Detrick is still open, although its gym is not, Talley said. 6park.com
There were soldiers who came back from areas with COVID-19 cases that were quarantined, Talley said, and measures are in place if anyone in Fort Detrick housing tests positive for the disease. 6park.com
Clarification
This story has been updated to reflect that USAMRIID is allowed to do work in BSL 3 and BSL 4 laboratories.