While the U.S. military is often depicted in movies and on television as having the capacity to stand up vast medical capabilities at a moment's notice, both Hoffman and Air Force Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Paul Friedrichs, the Joint Staff surgeon, cautioned against overestimating the department's capacity to provide medical capabilities to support a contagion like coronavirus.

Meanwhile, United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his deputy David Norquist will be quarantined due to the possibility of being infected with the coronavirus.

The first coronavirus case was confirmed on January 21, 2020 in the U.S. At least 4,093 people have been confirmed to have the virus. Of those reported cases, 71 people have died in the country.

ILKHA