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U.s. news Diabierna 9 OctOber 2020

Trump still contagious? Experts say it's impossible to know

NEW YORK (AP) — Presi- events next week. During a
dent Donald Trump said telephone interview with Fox
Thursday he doesn't think Business, Trump said Thurs-
he's contagious anymore, day: "I think I'm better to the
but medical experts say that's point where I'd love to do a
impossible to know a week rally tonight." He also said "I
after his diagnosis with CO- don't think I'm contagious at
VID-19. all."
Most people with COV- Since his return to the White
ID-19 can stop isolating and House Monday evening,
be around others about 10 only a few staffers — and no
days after they first showed reporters — have laid eyes on
symptoms, according to the the president, who has an-
Centers for Disease Control nounced updates to his con-
and Prevention. That's pro- dition via Twitter and a few
vided their symptoms have online videos. His doctors
improved, they have not had haven't held a press confer-
a fever for 24 hours and are ence since Trump left the
no longer on any medication hospital, only releasing state-
to reduce a high temperature. ments with limited informa-
But there's no way to know tion.
for certain that someone is "We who are watching from
no longer contagious so soon the outside only have inti-
after falling ill, experts say. mations, I'd even call them
"At this point, there's no di- hints," about Trump's health
agnostic test that tells you and when he might not be PCR lab tests 24 hours apart Clinic. that can do it," Schaffner said.
whether a person that's in- contagious, said Dr. William are a key factor in determin- "If they did daily testing, you There is a third possibility:
fected remains infectious," Schaffner, an infectious dis- ing whether someone is still could watch it go down," Novel tests available at some
said Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, ease specialist at Vanderbilt contagious. Morice said. "If his viral load research labs that look for
who leads Stanford Univer- University Medical Center. "So, if the president goes is low, the chance he can minute molecular evidence
sity's virology labs. "There Earlier this week, the presi- 10 days without symptoms, spread the virus is low as that the virus is still replicat-
is absolutely a chain of un- dent's doctors suggested they and they do the tests that we well." ing in cells. But the technol-
knowns." would work closely with were talking about, then you Another potential strategy: ogy is still too new to be used
Trump's doctors have said he military medical research fa- could make the assumption, Take the president's samples to rule out if someone is in-
had COVID-19 symptoms cilities and other laboratories based on good science, that and try to get the virus to rep- fectious, Pinsky said.
last Thursday, so he'd reach on "advanced diagnostic test- he is not infected," Fauci said licate in a cell culture, which "You're not going to get per-
10 days on Sunday. They re- ing" to determine when the Thursday on MSNBC. would indicate it's still active. fection with any of these
ported Wednesday that he president was no longer con- Sensitive lab tests — like the This approach would be less tests," said Gigi Gronvall, of
hasn't had a fever for days and tagious, but did not elaborate. PCR test — detect virus in sensitive than molecular tests Johns Hopkins Center for
had been symptom-free for They have not released any swab samples taken from the and sometimes doesn't work. Health Security. "That's why
over 24 hours, while Trump details about his test results, nose and throat. Using these, And it wouldn't be scalable, you need to think about other
said on Thursday that he was including when Trump last the president's medical team or safe, to use it more widely mechanisms of public health
still taking dexamethasone, a had a negative virus test be- could hypothetically measure for other COVID-19 pa- control" like wearing masks,
steroid that can reduce fevers. fore he got sick. and track the amount of virus tients. washing hands and keeping
Trump's aides were weighing Dr. Anthony Fauci, the gov- in samples over time, said Dr. "It would take much longer, socially distant to stop the
travel options for the presi- ernment's top infectious dis- William Morice, who over- cost much more and we don't spread of coronavirus.
dent, including trips for small ease expert, said two negative sees laboratories at the Mayo have that many laboratories

West Virginia site chosen for high-speed travel facility

(AP) — Virgin Hyperloop gers underground at over 600 temporary construction jobs partnership to build it. Virgin spokeswoman Sarah
One will build a certifica- mph (960 km/h). to a state that has witnessed Delaware, Georgia, New Lawson wrote in an email.
tion center in West Virginia The company had received economic decline with the Mexico, North Carolina, The center will be located
for the high-speed trans- bids from more than a dozen downturn of the coal indus- North Dakota, Ohio, South over 800 acres (325 hectares)
portation concept that uses states in the past year to build try. The facility will employ Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and in Tucker and Grant coun-
enclosed pods to zip passen- a 6-mile (9.7-kilometer) test- up to 200 full-time workers Washington state were also in ties in the northeast of West
ing track and other safety fa- when completed. the running for the facility, Virginia. Construction is
cilities over hundreds of acres "What we're doing is bringing according to a Virgin Hyper- planned to begin in 2021 on
for the electromagnetic levi- a new industry straight to the loop news release. an assembly facility for pods,
tation transportation tech- place where West Virginians The company did not say if safety centers and other op-
nology. once mined," said Jay Walder, any financial incentives were erations.
Hyperloop technology, which CEO of Virgin Hyperloop offered in West Virginia's Virgin will partner with Mar-
Tesla founder Elon Musk One, at an announcement proposal. Mike Schneider, a shall University and West
is also developing, hopes to with the governor and state's vice president at Virgin Hy- Virginia University, which
one day provide clean-energy U.S. senators. perloop, said the company predicted the center will add
fast travel across the coun- Missouri had hoped to land was not "looking for gigantic $48 million annually to the
try. Virgin is studying build- the project for an ultrafast tax breaks." A spokeswoman state's economy.
ing a route that would link Hyperloop track that would said that the project is expect- The U.S. Department of
Chicago and Pittsburgh in transport passengers between ed to be financed by private Transportation has aimed to
under an hour. Certification St. Louis and Kansas City in and public funds. support the nascent technol-
for commercial travel is still 30 minutes. State lawmakers "The Hyperloop Certifica- ogy with new grants for com-
expected to be at least a de- earlier this year passed a bill tion Center is a long-term, panies such as Virgin. Hy-
cade away. that would give the Missouri multi-county project, so we perloop systems rely on low-
West Virginia and Virgin Highways and Transporta- are still working through how pressurized tunnels to ensure
officials said the new cen- tion Committee the author- the various assistance pro- pods can transport passengers
ter will bring thousands of ity to form a public-private grams will be best utilized," and goods at high speeds.