Small Wars Journal

Coronavirus Could Become a Major Security Threat in Developing Countries, Military Commanders Warn

Fri, 01/31/2020 - 12:05am

Coronavirus Could Become a Major Security Threat in Developing Countries, Military Commanders Warn by Leo Shane III - Military Times

On the same day the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the Chinese coronavirus as a public health emergency, a pair of military combatant commanders told Congress the illness will present significant security issues if it moves rapidly to other countries.

“Capacities (in different countries) vary widely,” said Adm. Craig Faller, head of U.S. Southern Command, in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. “In many places that are strained to the limit, I'd be very concerned if we saw this spread.”

The new virus, now responsible for sickening more than 6,000 people worldwide and killing more than 130 people in China, has drawn the attention of public health officials and members of Congress in recent days. So far, five cases of the illness have been confirmed in the United States…

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