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‘Comfort’ and ‘Mercy’ During the Pandemic (Updates)

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USNS Mercy in transit to Los Angeles.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mora Jr.)

UPDATE II:

For various reasons, as of today — Thursday – only 20 patients had been transferred to the 1000-bed hospital ship USNS Comfort docked at New York Harbor since Monday.

Let us hope that improves. Read more here.

(Thank you Susan R.)

UPDATE 2:

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory J. Mendenhall

The USNS Comfort arrived in New York March 30, above, and the USNS Mercy accepted its first patients in Los Angeles, March 29 (below).

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Erwin Jacob Miciano

Original Post:

The U.S. Naval Hospital Ship (USNS) Mercy (lead image) arrived Friday morning at the Port of Los Angeles to assist the city and local hospitals to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The USNS Mercy will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals so that those hospitals can focus their efforts on COVID-19 cases.

It will provide 1,000 hospital beds, extra doctors, nurses and other medical staff and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults. This includes:

• Up to 5,000 unit of blood
• 12 fully equipped operating rooms
• 8 Intensive Care Unit beds
• 4 radiology suites
• 2 oxygen-producing plants
• 1 isolation ward
• Digital radiological services
• A medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab and a CAT scan.
• A helicopter deck capable of landing large helicopters and side ports to take on patients at sea.

The Mercy has on board more than 800 Navy medical personnel and support staff and 70 civil service mariners, assembled from 22 commands. Nearly 60 additional Navy Reserve medical professionals will support the ship’s medical relief mission.

The USNS Mercy is the largest hospital ship in the world.

A second U.S. Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort (below) has also been readied to support New York in its fight against the virus.

The USNS Comfort pier side at Naval Station Norfolk before deploying to New York City. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Craig Z. Rodarte)

The Comfort is expected to arrive in New York Harbor early next week with more than 1,200 medical personnel and fully loaded with medical equipment and supplies.

The USNS Comfort is similarly staffed and equipped as the Mercy and, like the Mercy, the Comfort will not take on coronavirus patients, but will take care of patients with other needs to free up doctors, beds and equipment to deal with the virus.

Please watch the video below on the USNS Mercy, one of two magnificent ships of comfort and mercy.