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Donald Trump tests positive for COVID-19

Donald Trump
Donald Trump Photo: Shutterstock

Donald Trump announced on Twitter at nearly 1 a.m. on Friday, October 2 that he and his wife Melania Trump have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

“Tonight, [Melania] and I tested positive for COVID-19,” Trump wrote. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”

Related: Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain dies from COVID after attending Trump’s Tulsa rally

The tweet was confirmed in a memo by Trump’s physician, Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, who wrote that the Trumps’ test results came back positive on Thursday evening.

“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” Conley wrote.

“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions.”

“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any further developments,” Conley wrote.

U.S. News & World Report says that White House aide Hope Hicks tested positive after she started showing symptoms of the disease on Wednesday. Even after she started showing symptoms of the virus, Trump’s travel schedule continued.

Hicks works closely with Trump, although no medical professional has said that Donald and Melania Trump contracted the virus from her.

On Tuesday night, Trump debated Democratic candidate Joe Biden and journalists noted that Trump’s adult children did not wear facemasks in defiance of the rules put in place for the debate’s audience. Melania Trump wore a mask but took it off after sitting down.

A Cleveland Clinic doctor told NBC News that she approached Trump’s children to ask them to wear masks but they shook their heads no.

Jill Biden, Joe Biden’s wife, wore a facemask.

During the debate, Biden attacked Trump for not showing leadership by wearing a facemask: “He’s been totally irresponsible the way he’s handled social distancing and discouraging people to wear masks.”

Moderator Chris Wallace pressed Trump on masks, asking if he questions “the efficacy of masks.”

“I don’t wear masks like him,” Trump responded, referring to Biden. “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from them and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”

CNN notes that Trump, at 74-years-old, falls into a high risk category for complications from the disease. Biden, who may have been exposed to the virus on Tuesday night, is 77-years-old.

The next presidential debate is scheduled for October 15. That debate may be canceled if Trump is still in quarantine.

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