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US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, the president tweeted on Friday night on NZT.
Trump’s positive test comes just hours after the White House announced that Senior Assistant Hope Hicks contracted the virus after traveling with the president several times this week. Trump was last seen by journalists returning to the White House on Thursday night (US time) and appeared to be in good health. Trump is 74 years old, putting him at higher risk for serious complications from a virus that has now killed more than 200,000 people across the country.
“Tonight, (at) FLOTUS and I tested positive for Covid-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get out of this TOGETHER! “Trump tweeted.
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Trump announced just hours earlier that he and first lady Melania Trump were beginning a “quarantine process” after Hicks contracted the virus, although it was unclear what that entailed. It can take days for an infection to be detected by a test.
The diagnosis marks a major blow for a president who has been desperately trying to convince the American public that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, even as cases continue to rise with less than four months to go before Election Day. And it stands as the most serious public health scare known to any sitting American president in recent history.
Symptoms of Covid-19 can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Most people develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more serious symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Trump said he was awaiting the results of a Covid-19 test. “If we quarantine her or if we have her, I don’t know,” he said, adding that the first lady was also waiting for the results.
Hicks traveled with the president several times this week, including aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, and Air Force One to a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, and aboard Air Force One for the first presidential debate Tuesday night. in Cleveland.
Trump had consistently downplayed concerns about being personally vulnerable to contracting Covid-19, even after White House staff and allies were exposed and ill.
“I didn’t feel any vulnerability,” he told reporters in May.
Instead, he has encouraged governors to reopen their states and has sought to focus the nation’s attention on efforts to revive the economy, not on a rising death toll, as he seeks another four-year term.
Andrew Harnik / AP
Hope Hicks, center, traveled with the president several times this week.
Some studies suggest that Covid-19 patients who are obese may be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus, although it is unclear if that is because they are more likely to have other health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. In his 2019 physical, Trump reached the technical threshold for obesity.
The news would surely shake an already shaken nation still struggling with how to safely reopen while avoiding more spikes. The White House has access to nearly unlimited resources, including a steady supply of quick-result tests, yet it still failed to keep the president safe, raising questions about how the rest of the country will be able to protect its workers, students, and children. citizens. public how to reopen businesses and schools.
Hicks began to feel mild symptoms during the plane ride home from a rally in Minnesota Wednesday night, according to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal private information. She was quarantined away from other people on the plane and her diagnosis was confirmed Thursday, the person said.
Trump tweeted Thursday night: “The First Lady and I are awaiting the results of our tests. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process. ”
Hicks, who serves as the president’s advisor and traveled with him to a rally Wednesday, tested positive Thursday, according to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private medical information. She is the closest aide to Trump to test positive so far.
The White House did not immediately respond to multiple questions about the last time Trump was tested and whether he and other staff members who spent time with Hicks in recent days will be quarantined.
Trump traveled to New Jersey on Thursday for a fundraiser. His social media director, Dan Scavino, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, were originally set to join him, but were replaced at the last minute by other assistants.
In a statement, White House spokesman Judd Deere said: “The President takes the health and safety of himself and all who work to support him and the American people very seriously.
“The White House Operations Department collaborates with the President’s Physician and the White House Military Office to ensure that all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices to limit exposure to Covid-19. to the greatest extent possible both in the complex and when the president is traveling, ”Deere said.
Hicks traveled with the president several times this week, including aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, to a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, and aboard Air Force One for the first presidential debate Tuesday night.
Hicks, one of the president’s most trusted aides, previously served as the White House communications director and rejoined the administration earlier this year before the election. His positive test was first reported by Bloomberg News.
Several White House employees have tested positive for the virus, including Katie Miller, press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence; National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien; and one of the president’s personal valets.
After previous positive cases close to the president, the White House instituted a daily testing regimen for the president’s top advisers. Others who will be close to the president and vice president, including journalists, are also tested every day.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who have been in close contact with someone with Covid-19 be quarantined for 14 days, White House staff are considered essential workers. CDC’s guidelines for exposed essential workers allow them to return to work if they take precautions, such as taking their temperature before going to work, wearing a mask at all times, and practicing social distancing.
Trump, the White House, and his campaign have disobeyed other CDC guidelines and recommendations from public health officials and have largely refused to wear masks or practice social distancing.
