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Donald Trump has called his Covid-19 infection “a blessing from God” when he returned to the Oval Office Wednesday despite concerns that he should isolate himself as the virus continued to spread among leading figures in the White House.
In a video message posted on Twitter, Trump said a cocktail of experimental drugs from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was key to recovering from his infection. He said it was his suggestion to be treated with the drug, which has rarely been used outside of clinical trials.
“I feel great. I feel perfect,” says the president in the video. “I think it was a blessing from God, that I realized. This was a blessing in disguise. I caught it, I heard about this drug, I said let me take it. It was. my suggestion “.
The president also promised to bring the drug to the American people for free, falsely questioning it as a “cure.” There is no cure for Covid-19.
Trump’s latest claims echoed his earlier endorsements for unapproved treatments, from hydroxychloroquine to bleach. Even if the drug is effective, it has not yet been granted an emergency authorization for use by the general public.
Trump, who recently returned from several days at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, was back in the Oval Office for the first time Wednesday, where he received a report on Hurricane Delta, which is hitting Mexico and heading for the United States further. late this wednesday. week, and on the prospects for economic stimulus.
A coronavirus outbreak among numerous figures in the president’s orbit has created a dramatic situation in the Trump administration. At least 27 people in the White House, the election campaign and military leaders have tested positive for the virus. One of Trump’s closest advisers, Stephen Miller, was diagnosed Tuesday.
Questions were raised about the safety of the president’s decision to return to the Oval Office despite announcing a positive test less than a week ago. Speaking to reporters, White House Undersecretary of Press Brian Morgenstern cited “CDC guidelines” as one of the tools available to make sure your office presence was safe.
“Well, we can do it in a safe way, we can disinfect regularly,” Brian Morgenstern said. “We have PPE that we can wear. And we can interact with it by going backwards. “
Under the CDC guidelines, it would appear that Trump shouldn’t be in the Oval Office. The CDC says that anyone “sick or infected” with Covid-19 “should be separated from others by staying in a specific ‘sick room’,” meaning they should not go to and from an office where they interact with others. .
The guidelines add that those who test positive for Covid may be with others “for at least 10 days from the first symptoms and after at least 24 hours without fever without fever reducing medications and if other symptoms of Covid-19 are improving ”.
Access to Trump for White House aides has been extremely limited since his firing. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Senior Adviser Dan Scavino were among those with the president in the Oval Office. Those meeting with Trump should wear full personal protective equipment to minimize their risk.
Trump could have received his reports elsewhere in the compound, but the president believed it was important to be seen working from the office, according to a White House official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, said Trump had stated, “I feel great!”
Conley added in a memo that Trump had been symptom-free for more than 24 hours and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal. The memo also said that a blood test on Monday showed Trump had antibodies to the coronavirus. However, some were quick to point out that Trump recently received a large dose of the Regeneron cocktail, which contains such antibodies.
Regeneron says it’s not possible for this type of blood test to distinguish between the antibodies that Trump’s body may be producing and those supplied by the company’s drug. Those detected in Monday’s test were most likely from the drug, the company said.
