Trump and first lady test positive for COVID-19 after top aide tests positive

On Thursday Trump stated that he and first lady Melania Trump will begin their quarantine while awaiting their COVID-19 test results after one of Trump’s top aids tests positive for COVID-19. 

Following this, on Friday morning, Trump tweeted shortly before 1 am, “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”

Hope Hicks and the First Family’s positive cases have created a unique challenge for the White House as Trump aims to reopen the country while keeping COVID-19 out of the West Wing.

Thirty-one-year-old Hicks is the closest associate to Trump to test positive so far, which we can now assume was the contact that gave Trump COVID-19. Earlier this week Hicks traveled with Trump on Air Force One to the presidential debate in Ohio. In Cleveland on Tuesday Hicks can be seen getting off of the presidential jet without a mask. Hicks was once again close to Trump on Wednesday in the presidential helicopter marine when the president held a rally in Minnesota. Hicks began to have symptoms of COVID-19 on the helicopter ride back from the Minnesota rally. 

“I’ll get my test back either tonight or tomorrow morning,” said Trump. Trump “was surprised” about Hicks’s infection, remarking that she often wears a mask. “She is a very warm person,” he said.

As of now, there is no clear plan about the course of action in regards to the next presidential debate on Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida, or the potential halt to Trump’s campaign. An official White House schedule released about an hour before the release of Hicks’ positive case states events will continue as normal and Trump will visit Washington as well as Orlando for campaign rallies later in the week. However with the more recent news of Trump and the First Lady’s positive cases, one can expect they will be following the CDC guidelines that state a 14-day quarantine should take place. 

“White House Operations collaborates with the physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidelines and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” White House spokesman Judd Deere told CNN in a statement when asked about the level of contact between Hicks and Trump.

Trump poses a unique risk for potential health complications. Older men are up to twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than as women the same age. A study published in Nature found that men’s immunes systems response is weaker than a women’s response, especially in respiratory diseases.