Trump, still infectious, back to White House — no mask

Washington — President Donald Trump has returned to the White House dramatically from a military hospital that received an unprecedented level of care for COVID-19. He declared that despite his illness, the country should not be afraid of the virus that killed more than 210,000 Americans, and by entering an executive mansion without a protective mask, a new controversy soon ignited I put on.

Trump’s message surprised infectious disease experts and suggested that the president’s own illness did not force him to reconsider his often capricious attitude towards illness, which also revealed a new case on Monday. Infected with First Lady and several White House aides, including.

Landing at the White House in Marine One on Monday night, Trump gently climbed the stairs in South Portico, unmasked and declared “feeling good.” He double-thumbed the helicopter departing from the Portico Terrace, where the adjutant placed the American flag for the occasion of the sunset. He entered the White House. There, I saw an aide shaving around the Blue Room without covering his face.

The president left Walter Reed’s National Military Medical Center, where his doctor, Lieutenant Colonel Navy, was. Sean Conley said earlier Monday that the president would remain contagious and would not be completely “out of the woods” for another week, but Trump would meet or exceed discharge criteria. .. Mr. Trump is expected to continue his recovery at the White House, where the extent of the outbreak that has infected the highest levels of the US government has not yet been clarified.

Still, just a month before the election, Trump, who was anxious for the strength of the project, said he would attend a debate next week with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami on Tuesday morning. I tweeted. “That would be great!” He said.

And he rushed out a new video from the White House in case someone missed his worry-free message before.

“Don’t be afraid of it,” Trump said of the virus. “You’re going to beat it. We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicine.” His remark was strong, but he always delivers it. I was taking a deeper breath.

On Tuesday, Trump went one step further and repeated his previous comparison between COVID-19 and seasonal flu.

“Every year, many people die of the flu, sometimes over 100,000, despite the vaccine,” he tweeted. “Are we going to close the country? No, just as we are learning to live with Covid, it’s far less deadly in most populations, living with it I learned !!! “

COVID-19 has already proven to be a more powerful killer than seasonal flu, especially among the elderly, and shows signs of long-term effects on the health of younger infected people.

Trump’s casual message of not being afraid of the virus is that his administration pays close attention to Americans and takes precautions to avoid getting sick and spreading as cases continue to surge nationwide. This is because I urged them to take it. Trump’s efforts to curb the threat of the virus, hoping to support the economy prior to the election, have been criticized by bipartisan parties for over eight months.

“This must be realistic. COVID is a complete threat to the American people,” said Dr. David Nace of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, in response to Mr. Trump’s comment.

“Most people aren’t as lucky as the president,” added Nace, an infectious disease expert in the elderly, with access to in-house medical units and treatments.

“It’s an unconscionable message,” agreed Dr. Sadhya Khan of Northwestern University School of Medicine, Fineberg. “I go until I say it may promote or exacerbate the spread.”

Similarly, Biden, who spent more than 90 minutes on the discussion stage with Trump last week, said he was happy that Trump seemed to be recovering well at NBC Town Hall on Monday night. “But there’s a lot to worry about-210,000 people have died. I hope they don’t leave with the message that it doesn’t matter.” Biden tested negative for the virus on Sunday.

Biden said Monday that he would “listen to science” prior to future discussions, adding that the campaign and committee should be “very cautious” in planning. “If scientists say it’s safe, and if they think distance is safe, that’s fine,” he said. “I will do whatever the experts say.”

There was also a backlash from prominent Trump political supporters.

Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn tells the Houston Chronicle editorial board that Trump “relaxes alert” to show that the country is moving beyond the virus, causing “confusion” about how to stay safe. He said.

Conley said he was in an “undeveloped territory” because of an abnormal level of treatment very early after the discovery of Trump’s illness. But doctors were fine during the afternoon briefing, saying the president could resume his normal schedule “without evidence that a living virus still exists.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 can be transmitted for up to 10 days and should be quarantined for at least 10 days.

The return of Trump to the White House raises new questions about how to protect other officials from the illness that is prevalent in the president’s body. Press Secretary Cary McKennie announced on Monday morning that she had tested positive for the virus and entered quarantine.

There were also protracted questions about the potential long-term consequences for the president, and even when he was first infected with the virus.

Conley repeatedly refused to share the results of Trump’s lung medical scans, saying he couldn’t freely discuss the information because he didn’t relinquish the confidentiality of the doctor and the patient on the matter. did. COVID-19 is known to cause serious lung damage in some patients. Conley also refused to share the date of the latest negative test Trump performed on the virus. This is an important point for tracking and understanding where Trump was in the process of illness.

Just a day ago, Mr. Trump said in a video that he “understood”, suggesting that he had finally grasped the essence of the virus. But on Sunday afternoon, he left the hospital in a convoy to salute his supporters — an outing that ignored precautions intended to contain the virus.

At the hospital, doctors revealed that his blood oxygen levels had dropped suddenly twice recently, giving him steroids, which are usually recommended only for very ill people.

Trump’s experience with this disease is dramatically different from most Americans who do not have access to the same type of surveillance and care. Most people have to deal with their symptoms at home and alone and are afraid of getting worse, but Trump is staying in the Presidential Suite, one of the best hospitals in the United States, and is an drug. Is not easily administered. It is open to the public. He returns to the White House, where a team of doctors watching 24 hours a day is waiting.

Mr. Trump was discharged after receiving a fourth dose of the antiviral drug remdesivir on Monday night, Conley said. He will receive the fifth and final dose at the White House on Tuesday.

Vice President Mike Pence returned to the campaign shortly after Trump announced that he would be discharged soon. The Vice President boarded Air Force One and flew to Salt Lake City. There he will face Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Wednesday.

In his new video, Trump defended his decision to repeatedly ignore his own administration’s guidelines to slow the spread of the virus. This includes holding rallies with thousands of mostly maskless supporters.

Apparently referring to the potential danger to himself more than others, he said: “I was standing in front. I led. No one leader does what I did. right”. “And I know there is a risk, it’s dangerous, but it’s okay, and now I’m getting better. And maybe I’m immune, I don’t know.”