U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania are reported to have mild cases of COVID-19, but Trump has now been taken to Walter Reed military hospital as a precaution.
Earlier Friday, the White House stated the Trump was up and continuing to work.
Meantime, Democratic challenger Joe Biden pressed a bipartisan message in battleground Michigan.
Biden says Trump’s positive test is a “bracing reminder” that the United States needs to take more steps to fight the virus — like wearing a mask.
Trump had taken several swipes at Biden for wearing a mask, something that Trump mostly refused to do.
On Thursday night Pacific time, Trump announced on Twitter that he and Melania had tested positive for COVID-19.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
According to the White House, the president is suffering mild symptoms including a cough and fever, and his doctors treated him with an experimental drug cocktail.
The news created shock waves around the world.
University of Victoria Political Scientist Will Greaves said the concern is how many senior Republicans potentially positive with COVID-19. The consequences are potentially very significant.
“After months of denying the seriousness of the pandemic, the president of the United States now has COVID-19,” Greaves said.
“The fact that it’s now penetrated the highest levels of the U.S. government, calls into question the credibility of the U.S. government. They can’t even keep the president safe from coronavirus,” Greaves said.
And watching from afar, Americans living in Victoria worry about the implications.
Lauretta Heaney temporarily moved to Victoria from Spokane, Wash. one year ago.
“If Trump really does get very ill and Pence has to take over, there may be people out there that want to react violently to either postpone the election. Or to stop people from voting because they know the Democrats are in the lead,” she said.
Trump tweeted a video a short time ago before leaving for Walter Reed.
“I think I’m looking very well. But we’re going to make sure that things work out. The first lady is doing very well. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. I will never forget it,” he said.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Ellena Pfeffer moved to Vancouver Island two years ago. She said she was in shock after hearing about Trump’s diagnosis.
“I was in disbelief. The way he keeps talking about it’s a hoax and there’s no COVID. And he walks around with no mask on,” she said.
There are many questions remaining around Trump’s diagnosis, according to Greaves.
“There are real questions about how much fuel this is going to pour on fires that are currently raging within the United States. Unfortunately, there is very little upside to anticipate from this. The question is, how much downside will it produce?”
Now infected with a disease he’s downplayed for months, Trump has another challenge ahead of him. The presidential election in November.
READ MORE: 161 new cases of COVID-19 reported in B.C., no new cases in Island Health
With files from The Canadian Press
Mary Griffin
