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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 12 october 2020
Trump claims he’s free of virus, ready for campaign trail

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and traveling on Air Force One, the White House appeared to
HOPE YEN at the event site or at rallies be following CDC guidelines
Associated Press scheduled for Pennsylvania for when it is appropriate to
WASHINGTON (AP) — and Iowa later in the week. end isolation after mild to
President Donald Trump on Campaign officials have moderate cases of COVID-19.
Sunday declared he was ready signaled that Trump will be But Ko cautioned that those
to return to the campaign traveling nearly every day who have had severe cases
trail despite unanswered the rest of the campaign, of the diseases should isolate
questions about his health and sometimes making more for 20 days. He noted that
on the eve of a Florida rally than one stop, an aggressive Trump was treated with the
meant to kick off the stretch schedule for a 74-year-old steroid dexamethasone,
run before Election Day. who was hospitalized just which is normally reserved
His impending return comes days ago. And with the for patients with severe
after the White House virus again dominating the COVID.
doctor said he was no longer Supporters of President Donald Trump rally at The Ellipse, before national discourse, the Trump Dr. Marc Lipsitch, an infectious
at risk of transmitting the entering to The White House, where Trump will hold an event on campaign has released an ad disease expert at the Harvard
coronavirus but did not say the South lawn on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Washington. featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci School of Public Health, said
explicitly whether Trump Associated Press praising the president’s the doctor’s letter does not
had tested negative for it. and Prevention criteria for so early in the course of his leadership — but the nation’s provide enough information
The president insisted he safely discontinuing isolation illness. Just 10 days since an leading infectious disease to be assured that Trump is
was now “immune” from and that by “currently initial diagnosis of infection, expert on Sunday objected to no longer infectious to others.
the virus, a claim that was recognized standards” he there was no way to know for being included. He noted that Trump’s use of
impossible to prove and was no longer considered a certain that someone was no “The comments attributed to steroids could prolong viral
added to the unknowns transmission risk. The memo longer contagious, they said. me without my permission shedding so the CDC’s 10-
about the president’s health. did not declare Trump had His return to full-fledged in the GOP campaign ad day standard may or may not
“I’m immune,” Trump said tested negative for the virus. rallies will be in Florida on were taken out of context,” apply. “It is a judgment call,”
in an interview on Fox News But sensitive lab tests — Monday, a comeback that Fauci said in a statement, he said. The White House
Channel’s “Sunday Morning like the PCR test cited in the comes with the president adding that he was talking memo followed Trump’s
Futures.” “The president is in doctor’s statements — detect facing stubborn deficits in the broadly about public health first public appearance since
very good shape to fight the virus in swab samples taken polls. The Trump campaign officials’ response to the returning to the White House
battles.” In a memo released from the nose and throat. and White House has not pandemic. “In my five after being treated for the
Saturday night by the White Some medical experts had indicated that any additional decades of public service, I coronavirus at a military
House, Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean been skeptical that Trump safety measures will be taken have never publicly endorsed hospital. Hundreds of people
Conley said Trump met the could be declared free of the to prevent the transmission political candidates.” Tim gathered Saturday afternoon
Centers for Disease Control risk of transmitting the virus of the virus among those Murtaugh, Trump campaign on the South Lawn for a
communications director, Trump address on his support
responded by saying that for law enforcement from a
“these are Dr. Fauci’s own White House balcony.
words” and said they were Trump took off a mask
praising the administration’s moments after he emerged
response. on the balcony to address
On Sunday, Trump asserted the crowd on the lawn below,
in a tweet that he had “total his first step back onto the
and complete sign off from public stage with just more
White House Doctors” to than three weeks to go until
fully return to the campaign Election Day. He flouted,
trail, insisting he can no once more, the safety
longer spread the disease to recommendations of his
others and was impervious to own government days after
getting sick again. acknowledging that he was
While there’s evidence that on the brink of “bad things”
reinfection in unlikely for at from the virus and claiming
least three months even for that his bout with the
those with a mild case of illness brought him a better
COVID-19, very few diseases understanding of it.
leave people completely His return was a brief one.
immune for life. Antibodies With bandages visible on
are only one piece of the his hands, likely from an
body’s defenses, and they intravenous injection, Trump
naturally wane over time. spoke for 18 minutes, far less
“Certainly it’s presumptuous than his normal hour-plus
to say it’s a lifetime,” said rallies. He appeared healthy,
Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious if perhaps a little hoarse, as
disease specialist and he delivered what was, for
department chairman at the all intents and purposes, a
Yale School of Public Health. short version of his campaign
As to whether Trump could speech despite the executive
still be contagious, Ko said mansion setting.q