On Sept. 2, 2020, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command continues to combat the virus on several fronts from studying therapeutic treatments to assisting medical personnel and contributing to the national effort to develop vaccines.

The command has been developing its own COVID-19 vaccine as part of Operation Warp Speed, said Col. Stuart Tyner, director of its Military Infectious Diseases Research Program. The operation is the U.S. government’s effort to produce and deliver more than 300 million doses of effective vaccines.

In the spring, USAMRDC equipped the medical field hospitals that set up treatment stations at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The Force Health Protection division leads several efforts to deliver therapeutics for COVID-19 patients including remdesivir and convalescent plasma. Remdesivir, an antiviral medication, has been provided to more than 300 patients under an emergency use authorization.

Additionally, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, or USAMMDA, is working to develop a PLA2 inhibitor with an industry partner, Ophirex, for COVID-19 associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome treatment. Numbers of ARDS sufferers increased in emergency rooms across the world following the coronavirus outbreak, according to recent medical studies.