Donald and Melania Trump Are Tested Positive for Coronavirus

US President Donald Trump and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus according to the president. The United States is in the home stretch for the election on 3 November, where Trump is running for a second term.

The president’s personal physician expects that he will be able to continue his official duties „without interruption“ despite his corona infection. Sean Conley stated in a message on Friday night that Trump and his wife Melania were doing well and would stay in the White House during their recovery. „Rest assured that I expect the President to continue to perform his duties without interruption during his recovery“, Conley said. He and the White House medical team would remain vigilant. Conley made it clear that the President and the First Lady would have the support of some of the „greatest“ medical experts and institutions in the country.

Shortly before, Trump had confirmed that his close advisor, Hope Hicks, had tested positive for the virus. There have been previous cases of corona infections in Trump’s surrounding. However, Hicks spends a lot of time with Trump and First Lady Melania. For instance, Hicks had accompanied Trump on election trips in the past days. On Wednesday, the 31-year-old was in a helicopter with him when Trump flew back to Washington from a performance in the state of Minnesota. On Tuesday, Hicks accompanied the President to Cleveland, Ohio, where he and his election challenger Joe Biden held the first of three scheduled televised debates. She flew together with Trump in the presidential aircraft Air Force One.

Leaders from across the world wished the Trumps a speedy recovery. Amongst others, from EU Council President Charles Michel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He hopes they will both recover quickly, said Johnson, who himself was infected with the virus and was in intensive care with Covid-19.

Trump has been repeatedly accused of not taking the threat of the virus seriously. Most recently, he had again made numerous major election campaign appearances. They took place in the open. However, thousands of supporters, who were not obliged to wear masks, and for the most part stood close together, took part.

The coronavirus pandemic is still not under control in the United States. The number of known new infections rose by at least 45,785 to 7.31 million on Thursday, according to a census by Reuters news agency. The number of deaths rose by at least 880 to 207,940.