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The president and first lady of the United States tested positive for covid-19. This is what we know
(Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
In the early hours of Friday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 after one of their top advisers contracted the virus.
This is what we know about the situation:
Hope Hicks tests positive: Hicks is a close associate of Trump and traveled with him several times recently, including at the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday. She was seen boarding Marine One, the presidential helicopter, along with several other of the president’s closest advisers. Bloomberg was the first to report that Hicks had tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Later, multiple sources confirmed the diagnosis to CNN.
Fundraising and briefing for the media: A small group of White House officials learned Thursday morning that Hicks had contracted COVID-19, according to CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, but Trump still traveled to New Jersey for a fundraiser and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany still held a press conference at the White House on Thursday. McEnany did not wear a mask at the briefing and did not mention Hicks’s diagnosis to reporters in the room, Collins said.
Trump takes the test again: On Thursday night, Trump confirmed Hicks’s diagnosis in a tweet, saying that he and the first lady were being retested for the virus. “It tested positive, I just found out about this. It tested positive. She’s very hard-working. A lot of masks, he wears a lot of masks but he tested positive, “Trump said on Fox News” Hannity. “So if we quarantine ourselves or if we have it, I don’t know.”
Trump begins the “quarantine process”: the president followed his comments with a tweet later Thursday saying that he and the first lady were awaiting test results. “In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!” Trump tweeted.
Trump confirms that he has covid-19: After midnight, President Trump tweeted that he and Melania Trump tested positive. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We’ll get through it TOGETHER! ”He tweeted.
White House Doctor Letter: Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean P. Conley, issued a statement confirming the diagnosis and said: “The President and the First Lady are doing well at this time and plan to remain inside the White House during their convalescence.” Conley said he hopes the president “will continue to serve without interruption while he recovers.”
Questions: It’s unclear exactly what the president’s “quarantine process” will look like and there are concerns that several officials, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, may have been exposed to the virus.
