The neglected role of the military as a disease vector:Implications for Covid-19 and for global public health policy

Abstract

With the development of communication and transportation technologies, increases in international trade, and mass population movements, chances of human-to-human transmission of infectious disease agents have increased, alongside the pressing need to understand their transmission mechanisms and develop effective responses to contain their spread. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, mass testing, contact tracing, isolation of confirmed cases and varying degrees of restriction on population movements have contributed to flattening the global disease curve. However, the role of military transmission in the spread of Covid-19 has been largely overlooked, not only by the military itself, but also by government officials, policymakers, and even medical professionals, despite the rich body of literature spanning at least a century providing evidence for the role of the military as a pathogen transmitter. We call attention to this omission, offer a snapshot of the historical evidence for military-civilian transmission of infectious disease and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, and underscore the need to acknowledge the neglected role of the military as a disease vector for the successful design and implementation of a more equitable Covid-19 public health policy.