COVID-19 tests at the White House are not enough to protect Trump

WASHINGTON: Your press secretary once described President Donald Trump as the “most tested man in America” ​​when it comes to COVID-19.

And variations on that message were the immediate response from the White House whenever critics questioned the president’s lax approach to following the guidelines to avoid the coronavirus.

But that test operation proved woefully insufficient to protect the president and those who work for him in the White House, as evidenced by a series of positive tests over the past week for Trump, his wife and others in his orbit.

READ: US President Trump returns to the White House hard hit by COVID-19 after leaving hospital

Trump dramatically demonstrated that relying on testing alone is not enough to create a safe bubble. Wearing face masks and social distancing are other key ingredients in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and both are often in short supply in the White House.

Since the early days of the virus, Trump has provided conflicting advice on wearing a mask, noting that federal health experts recommended them, but added that “I don’t think he will.”

At another point, he said that “maybe they’re great, and maybe they’re just good. Maybe they’re not that good.”

And just last week, he hinted at Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden on the subject: “Every time you see him, he has a mask. He could be talking 200 feet (away) from them, and he shows up wearing the largest mask I have. “. that I’ve seen “.

READ: First, Trump dons a mask while visiting a military medical facility

While the White House has not insisted on the masks, it has insisted on testing. Anyone close to the president or vice president is screened before the day’s events, including journalists. The White House says the president also undergoes tests regularly, as do his senior aides.

“He has been tested more than anyone, several times a day. And we believe he is acting appropriately,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in July when asked if the president was sending mixed messages. about wearing masks. McEnany herself tested positive for the virus on Monday, she said.

Trump’s doctor, Navy Commander Sean Conley, has declined to say when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19.

READ: Doctors monitor Trump’s lungs and administer steroids to fight COVID-19

A negative test result may sound reassuring, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is coronavirus-free and not contagious.

When the virus enters the body, it takes over a cell’s machinery to copy itself, while defending itself against the body’s immune defenses. But the process takes a few days, so it may take a while before a test can detect the viral particles. In other words, testing too early may mean that no virus will accumulate on the swab.

There are other reasons for false negative test results. A test could be done poorly and not get a good sample. And compared to other tests, rapid tests return more false negatives.

The Food and Drug Administration has said that the Abbott ID Now test, which is used for screening at the White House, is intended to be used with people suspected of being sick, and a negative test result does not rule out COVID- 19.

“It is helpful to note that testing discovers the presence of coronavirus once there is enough viral material in a person to be able to detect it,” Abbott spokesman John Koval said in an email. “No test detects the virus immediately after a person is infected.”

“Testing alone does not prevent the spread of disease,” said Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, a former scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who now works at the nonprofit group Resolve to Save Lives, which works to prevent epidemics. It should be combined with the constant use of a mask, washing your hands, staying 6 feet away, and avoiding large gatherings.

READ: Face Masks in the Time of COVID-19 – Six Questions Answered

The main benefit of testing, Shahpar said, is identifying people with infections and isolating them before they can transmit the disease to others.

“The tests can have false positives and false negatives, and no test is perfect. It is also just a snapshot of the situation when the person was tested,” Shahpar said.

When asked if the tests provided a false sense of security, spokesman Judd Deere said the president’s physician and the White House Military Office worked with the White House to “ensure that all plans and procedures, including testing , incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting exposure to COVID-19 to the greatest extent possible. “

READ: Trump White House, campaign staff who tested positive for COVID-19

Health experts also advise social distancing, but that recommendation has been ignored at several recent White House events, most notably Trump’s nomination acceptance speech on the South Lawn in late August and a garden ceremony. of roses on September 26 in which the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve was announced. in the Supreme Court.

While the events were held outdoors, attendees sat shoulder to shoulder with hardly a mask in sight.

Trump gathered more than 150 people in the Rose Garden, where they mingled, hugged and shook hands, overwhelmingly without masks. There were also several indoor receptions, where Barrett, his family, senators and others gathered indoors inside the White House.

Among those who attended and now tested positive, in addition to Trump, his wife Melania and McEnany: former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former White House Councilor Kellyanne Conway, the president of the University of Notre Dame and at least two Republican legislators: Utah Senator Mike Lee and North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis.

There is no way to know if the Rose Garden event was where Trump was exposed. The president had a full week of official and campaign events before his hospitalization on Friday.

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