The coronavirus has struck another U.S. Navy ship, with 18 of the USS Kidd destroyer's sailors testing positive so far as the ship quickly heads to port. How the invisible coronavirus managed to emerge on the decks of the destroyer so long after the ship's last port stop remains a mystery, Navy officials told VOA on Friday.

The Kidd left its port in Hawaii on March 20, according to Navy officials. More than a month later, the first sailor showed symptoms, was evacuated and subsequently tested positive for the virus.

◆ Source a Mystery

Officials who spoke with VOA did not yet know if there had been any helicopter supply flights to the destroyer since its departure date. If none, the Kidd outbreak may be proof that the incubation period for COVID-19 may be much longer than the two-to-14-day range initially believed. "How are we supposed to be able to keep a ship clean?" a Navy official said while discussing the situation.

The latest outbreak came as the defense secretary met with Navy leadership Friday to discuss the results of an investigation into the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, the first Navy ship to experience a major COVID-19 outbreak at sea. To date, at least 856 of the Roosevelt’s nearly 5,000 sailors have tested positive.