President Trump announced early on October 2 that he and first lady Melania Trump both received positive COVID-19 tests.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately,” Trump wrote on Twitter around 1 a.m. “We will get through this TOGETHER!” The news came shortly after it was revealed that Hope Hicks, a senior aide who had frequent close contact with President Trump, also tested positive for the coronavirus. However, a few hours later, Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence revealed that they tested negative, CNBC reports.
The president hasn’t said anything about what symptoms he’s experiencing, if any. Anonymous sources report that he has mild cold-like symptoms, according to the New York Times. Due to his age, though, 74-year-old Trump is at a higher risk for severe coronavirus symptoms and complications.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include a cough, shortness of breath, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and a loss of taste or smell, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But more severe warning signs can include difficulty breathing, confusion, pain in the chest, and an inability to stay awake. At the most severe end of the spectrum, those with the coronavirus may develop severe respiratory issues that require mechanical ventilation to manage. Some people with COVID-19 known as “long haulers” continue to experience the effects of the disease for months after getting the virus.
Considering that Trump was at the presidential debate just a few days ago along with his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, the president’s positive COVID-19 test opens up the possibility that he may have exposed many other people to the virus as well. That includes prominent members of the government, his family (who generally did not wear masks at the debate), as well as any staff who spent time near him—including people in the service industry who may not have affordable access to quality health care.
Just a few hours before he tested positive, Trump also traveled to New Jersey for a campaign fundraiser. Governor Phil Murphy is now urging anyone who attended the event to self-quarantine and get tested for COVID-19, he said on Twitter.
Conducting contact tracing for a coronavirus cluster in the White House may be especially challenging. We don’t know exactly what went on in the days before Hicks tested positive, but COVID-19 has a notoriously long incubation period (meaning the period of time between when someone becomes infected—and can potentially spread the virus—and when they develop noticeable symptoms). The incubation period for COVID-19 can be up to 14 days, though symptoms tend to present between four and five days after exposure, according to the CDC. It’s also possible to have the infection, never develop symptoms, and spread the virus to others. So anyone who spent significant time in close contact with Hicks or the Trumps in the previous two weeks—especially indoors and/or without masks—is at risk.
“This is why I call this a nightmare. This [likely includes] a lot of folks and many senior govt leaders,” Ashish K. Jha, M.D., dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote on Twitter.
This situation is also a reminder that “testing is only one layer of protection,” Dr. Jha said. Everyone at this week’s debate was required to undergo COVID-19 testing (and receive a negative result) before entering the venue, SELF explained previously. But that obviously doesn’t mean they couldn’t test positive a day or two later—and have potentially exposed others to the virus in the meantime. Although testing is one crucial piece of our strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we can’t rely on testing alone to keep us safe. We also need to keep using the other public safety tools we have—wearing masks, social distancing, and washing our hands frequently—along with testing to get the most protection.
Of course, we wish the president a speedy recovery and know that he’ll be able to benefit from the best care that medicine can offer. Meanwhile, it was just last week that the U.S. officially lost 200,000 lives to the coronavirus. As Biden pointed out at this week’s presidential debate, the U.S. accounts for about 4% of the world’s population but 20% of the world’s COVID-19 deaths. It’s a devastating and frustrating amount of loss, especially considering that a stronger response from the federal government may have prevented much of it. If only someone had known back in February how dangerous this thing really was.
Related:
How Does Coronavirus Contact Tracing Actually Work?
Most of Trump’s Family Didn’t Wear Masks During Last Night’s Debate
Amid the Presidential Debate Chaos, Biden Heavily Criticized Trump’s COVID-19 Response