Ft. Leonard Wood tests hundreds of soldiers and trainees, 70 tests come back positive

After testing hundreds of soldiers and trainees over a recent two-day period, military health professionals at Fort Leonard Wood say 70 test results came back positive.

Military health professionals with the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital conducted COVID-19 testing on nearly 500 Soldiers and trainees assigned to the 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment.

"Due to the aggressive mitigation strategies in place, the number of infected and exposed individuals has been minimized to the greatest extent possible, and contained within one training unit," according to an

from U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood.

Affected individuals have been isolated or quarantined as appropriate and in accordance with CDC guidelines, per military health officials. All impacted buildings, dining facilities and training areas within the unit area have also been sanitized per CDC guidelines.

"Upon arrival to Fort Leonard Wood, all 500 Soldiers and trainees were medically screened and tested by GLWACH health professionals at the beginning of their 14-day controlled monitoring phase of basic combat training and all test results at that time were negative. Four days after the end of the group’s controlled monitoring phase, a trainee reported to Harper In-processing Health Screening Facility with symptoms, and immediately, all 500 were tested again, resulting in the increased positive test results.

All those who tested positive are being cared for and monitored according to CDC guidelines and have been isolated to prevent the potential spread to others. Most of those who tested positive are asymptomatic and none have been hospitalized at GLWACH," according to the update from U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood.