Enlarge / US President Donald Trump holds a protective mask during the first US presidential debate hosted by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (credit: Getty | Bloomberg)
In the wee hours of Friday morning, news broke that President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
The revelation, while stunning, is perhaps not surprising. Trump has consistently downplayed the pandemic virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, as it smothered the globe and ravaged the US. More than 7 million people in the US have tested positive for the virus and nearly 208,000 have died. Yet in public appearances and packed rallies prime for disease transmission, Trump has not followed physical distancing and has rarely worn face coverings.
Symptoms
According to some of his closest aides, Trump began exhibiting symptoms on Wednesday. The aides, who spoke with Bloomberg News, said Trump seemed exhausted and abnormally fatigued. Fatigue is among the most common symptoms of COVID-19, along with cough, fever, muscle pain, sore throat, shortness of breath, and headache. The New York Times has since also reported that Trump was lethargic Wednesday and Thursday and that he has experienced “coldlike” symptoms.
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Source: Ars Technica – Trump’s infection, outlook with COVID-19 and the likelihood of White House spread