US President Donald Trump tests positive for Covid-19

US President Donald Trump tests positive for Covid-19
© Belga

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19, the president announced on Twitter.

"Tonight, [the First Lady] and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" Trump tweeted.

Following the tweet by Trump, a White House press officer released a statement signed by Trump's doctor in which he confirmed the positive results and said the couple were "feeling well and would remain at home (...) during their convalescence.

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The first lady also confirmed the news via Tweet and said that they would both remain in quarantine, just as "too many Americans have done this year."

The confirmation comes just moments after Trump tweeted that he and Mrs Trump had gotten tested after Hope Hicks, a close Trump counsellor, tested positive for the virus.

Trump's doctor, Sean P. Conley, said in the statement that he expected "the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering," adding: "I will keep you updated on any future developments."

Hicks had travelled with Trump to the first election debate against Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Ohio on Monday, and she had also accompanied him to an earlier campaign rally in Minnesota.

White House officials, close aids to Trump, and journalists travelling with the president's team are tested for the coronavirus regularly.

Trump has repeatedly spread misleading or false information regarding the pandemic, with a study by the University of Cornell on Tuesday identifying the president of the United States as "the single largest driver of coronavirus misinformation."

Trump, who has made no efforts to hide his disdain for measures such as the use of a face mask in public, is one of over 7 million Americans who have tested positive for the virus, which has killed over 200,000 people in the US so far.

Just 33 days before the presidential election on 3 November, it remains unclear how Trump will continue campaigning for reelection following his diagnosis.

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


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