On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce that he and his wife Melania have tested positive for COVID-19. This comes hours after news broke that one of the senior advisors and members of his staff, Hope Hicks, tested positive. Trump, 74, and Melania, 50, are both within the age range for COVID-19 cases to lead to extreme sickness or death.
Of the millions of people in the United States that have contracted COVID-19, and especially of the over 200,000 people who have died from the virus, many of them have been over 50 years old and/or had preexisting conditions. The CDC states that anyone within 64 to 74 years old is 90 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their 20-year-old counterparts.
The CDC also recommends a 10-day quarantine after testing positive or after the individual’s symptoms have begun. Though the President Trump was immediately hospitalized after testing positive and has reportedly made a full recovery at this point, many have reported that the President was unmasked in his sealed vehicle with his Secret Service on his way to the hospital and has, in the past, refused both to wear a mask and socially distance from his staff throughout the pandemic.
Due to these actions which go directly against many of the CDC’s recommendations, many members of the Trump administration and other politicians have tested positive, including Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnaney, Former Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway and North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis. Contract tracing, noted by The Guardian, shows that many of his staff attended a White House event for Trump’s upcoming Supreme Court nomination, during which many were unmasked and sitting close together throughout the event. The event held for the nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, hosted a second party for certain members of the staff and administration, many of which are included in those who have tested positive and may contribute to those testing positive in the future.
Trump was taken to Walter-Reed hospital, one of the best in the country, to receive care for his diagnosis, but was discharged after just the weekend to return to the White House. The President was given supplemental oxygen treatments during his stay at the hospital and his doctors have stated that he may not be entirely healthy just yet. This doesn’t seem to dismay President Trump as he is set to continue to the election and presidential debates, as well as continue to schedule in-person rallies for his campaign.
Most of the President’s actions following his diagnosis have been on-brand with his administration’s opinion of the virus, in which he often disapproves of wearing masks, socially distancing and quarantines. While being treated for the virus in the hospital, President Trump tweeted supposed encouragements to the American people, stating that everyone should not be afraid of COVID-19 and people shouldn’t allow it to dominate their lives. Despite these statements, Trump’s physicians don’t yet know when or if the President will fully recover. With the impending future presidential debate and Biden’s negative test results, the world will watch and see what President Trump decides to do or risk for this election.
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