8th October, 2020
US President Donald Trump’s statement that he does not pose any risk as a spreader of COVID-19 has been debunked by Live Science.
According to the website, the American leader needs at least 10 days, since his infection and cure, to get the all clear.
Trump told Fox Business Thursday morning that he doesn’t think he’s “contagious at all,” and rejected participating in a virtual debate with Joe Biden on 15 October.
His self-declaration of clean bill, has raised questions. Is he right?.
Here is chronology of his infection, according to Live Science:
He was first admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment less than a week ago, making that claim suspect (he was admitted to the medical centre last Friday and discharged on Monday.
People “with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Persons with more severe to critical illness or severe immunocompromise likely remain infectious no longer than 20 days after symptom onset.”
For most people with COVID-19, isolations and precautions “can generally be discontinued,” 10 days after symptom onset, if at least 24 hours have passed since the last fever and other symptoms have improved, according to the CDC.
For “a limited number” of people, the virus can stay infectious for longer than 10 days, according to the CDC.
Donald Trump was admitted to the hospital last Friday (Oct. 2) and White House officials said he first showed symptoms about a week ago, according to CNBC. His oxygen levels dropped twice, according to his physician Dr. Sean ConleyHe was given supplemental oxygen, the antiviral drug Remdesevir, a common steroid and Regeneron’s experimental antibody treatment.
On Wednesday (Oct. 6), Conley wrote in a memo that Trump has been fever-free for more than four days and symptom-free for more than 24 hours, according to CNBC.
But the timeline of his infection and symptom onset isn’t very clear, nor is the severity of his illness: Remdesivir is typically reserved for hospitalized patients, and steroids are only helpful for severe cases of COVID-19, according to a Live Science report.
This may suggest that the president’s case was serious, but most people who have severe COVID-19 spend longer in the hospital than Trump has.
Due to his recent diagnosis, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the next Presidential debate, which was to be held next week in Miami, would be virtual, according to CNN.
Trump said he would not attend a virtual event. “I am not going to do a virtual debate,” Trump said on Fox Business, according to CNN.
“I am not going to waste my time on a virtual debate.”