President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night. The president made the announcement on Twitter, posting at 12:54 a.m. to say, “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Their diagnosis came hours after news broke that Hope Hicks, one of Trump’s closest advisors, had tested positive for the virus as well. Just two hours before announcing his condition, Trump tweeted about Hicks to indicate he and the first lady would be quarantining while they waited on test results.
Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Trump’s diagnosis comes just over 30 days before the November election, while the country battles a pandemic, struggling economy, and racial unrest. Stock futures dropped shortly after the president’s announcement.
BREAKING: Stock futures sharply fall after President Donald Trump tweets that he has tested positive for coronavirus. https://t.co/85yDnAAcX6 pic.twitter.com/Mh4TQb0p0h
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) October 2, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently advises “most persons with COVID-19 illness, isolation and precautions can generally be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medications, and with improvement of other symptoms.”
“For persons who never develop symptoms,” the CDC says, “isolation and other precautions can be discontinued 10 days after the date of their first positive [test].”
Trump debated Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday night and hosted a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, among other meetings on his public schedule this week. He had been slated to host rallies in Florida and Wisconsin over the weekend, and in Arizona on Monday.
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) October 2, 2020
In her tweet, the First Lady said she and the president were “feeling good.”
“Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together,” she added.
