And we all know that at the least eight folks — together with Trump and first woman Melania Trump — who attended final Saturday’s announcement of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court docket within the Rose Backyard have since examined optimistic.
However past that, there are nonetheless a LOT of unknowns — questions that the White Home both refuses to reply or just can’t present good solutions on. Under, an inventory of simply some of these questions.
* How sick is Trump, actually?: We do not precisely know. Minutes after White Home doctor Sean Conley said on Saturday that “the President is doing very nicely,” a “supply accustomed to the President’s well being” stated this: “The President’s vitals during the last 24 hours had been very regarding and the subsequent 48 hours shall be essential by way of his care. We’re nonetheless not on a transparent path to a full restoration.” On Sunday, Conley stated that Trump had a “excessive fever” on Friday morning and was given supplemental oxygen regardless of his resistance to doing so. “The President has continued to enhance,” stated Conley, and Trump tweeted Monday that he is leaving the hospital after three nights, declaring he’s “feeling really good!” and that coronavirus is nothing to concern. This is what we do find out about his keep: 1) Trump was having problem respiratory on Friday and had a excessive fever 2) He was given supplemental oxygen on the White Home 3) he was transported to Walter Reed Friday night time 4) He had not required any extra oxygen since arriving at Walter Reed. And we additionally know that at 74 years outdated and overweight, technically talking, Trump is at the next danger of getting issues from Covid-19.
* When did Trump final take a look at destructive for the virus?: We all know that Trump examined optimistic twice on Thursday for the coronavirus — once a rapid test, the other a more reliable PCR test. However neither the White Home nor Trump’s physician, Conley, have been prepared to say when he final had a destructive take a look at. Which makes it onerous to find out when Trump might need been contagious to others he was round.
* Why did Trump go to New Jersey and do a fundraiser?: The White Home has made clear that Trump did not take a look at optimistic till after he returned from his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf membership the place he held a donor occasion Thursday afternoon. (State well being officers are seeking to contact greater than 200 individuals who could have come into contact with Trump in the course of the fundraiser.) Trump’s journey is all of the extra baffling on condition that some members of the White Home knew senior Trump aide Hope Hicks had examined optimistic as early as Thursday morning. As New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said in a tweet on Monday afternoon: “The President & his workers acted recklessly in coming to New Jersey figuring out that that they had been uncovered to somebody with a confirmed optimistic take a look at.”
* Is the White Home contact tracing?: Given how many people in and around the President have tested positive for the virus — White Home press secretary Kayleigh McEnany joined their ranks on Monday morning — you’ll suppose the White Home can be engaged in a mass contact tracing effort to restrict the unfold. They usually is likely to be! But it surely doesn’t seem like all that thorough, on condition that The New York Occasions White Home reporter Michael Shear, who examined optimistic for the virus on Friday, told CNN’s “New Day” Monday that he hadn’t heard from anyone in the White House yet.
* Is Trump the primary world chief to have Covid-19?: No! Numerous world leaders have contracted it, together with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro in July and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in March. Johnson, like Trump, was hospitalized due to the virus however, in contrast to Trump, spent several days in an intensive care unit.
* What medicines is Trump being given?: As I famous above, the White Home doctor has been considerably cagey in regards to the course of remedy for the President. However here’s what we do know the President has been given: 1) Regeneron’s dual antibody cocktail on Friday. The cocktail is taken into account an experimental drug as a result of it has not been authorized to be used by the Meals and Drug Administration. 2) A five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral drug that has proven to hurry restoration amongst some Covid-19 sufferers. 3) Dexamethasone, a steroid, was administered to Trump on Saturday because of transient episodes wherein his oxygen stage dropped, based on Conley. Conley stated Monday that Trump has not taken fever-reducing medication — however dexamethasone can mask fever. 4) Zinc and vitamin D, which will be geared toward boosting the immune system 5) Melatonin 6) A heartburn drug referred to as famotidine and seven) a each day aspirin.
* What occurs if Mike Pence will get Covid-19?: The vp has examined destructive for Covid-19 on at the least 4 events since Friday — together with on Monday morning. He’s anticipated to move to Salt Lake Metropolis to organize for Wednesday night time’s debate with California Sen. Kamala Harris regardless of there being major questions about whether he should still be quarantining. If Pence did get sick and was unable to carry out his duties, a lot would rely on Trump’s well being. So far, Trump has not felt as if he wanted to switch energy to Pence because of ongoing points with the coronavirus. Assuming he continues to really feel the identical or higher, Trump would keep on being president if Pence occurred to be incapacitated because of Covid-19. If, for no matter motive, each Trump and Pence had been incapacitated, the presidential line of succession would make House Speaker Nancy Pelosi president, though the regulation there may be considerably imprecise and such a transfer would seemingly be challenged.
* What’s Joe Biden doing?: In the intervening time, the previous vp continues to maintain a marketing campaign schedule though he has taken down all negative TV ads whereas Trump continues to convalesce. Biden is ready to take part in an NBC Information city corridor at eight p.m. Jap Monday. He’ll marketing campaign in communities in and round close to Miami earlier than the townhall. Biden last tested negative for coronavirus on Sunday.
* Is the subsequent presidential debate going to occur?: The quick reply is we do not know. The subsequent presidential debate is ready for October 15 in Miami. Based mostly on the at-times complicated timeline supplied by the White Home, Trump examined optimistic for coronavirus in some unspecified time in the future on Thursday, October 1. He was displaying indicators of sickness that very same day. Which implies that he might, in idea, take part within the debate. According to the CDC’s guidelines, an individual with Covid-19 will be round others 10 days after the onset of signs, assuming they haven’t any fever and different coronavirus-related signs are bettering. Biden, for his half, stated Monday that he would take part “if scientists say that it is protected,” including: “I will do regardless of the specialists say is acceptable for me to do.”
* Will Amy Coney Barrett nonetheless be confirmed earlier than Election Day?: That prospect appears a lot much less seemingly at present than it did even 5 days in the past. The explanation? Three Republican senators — Utah’s Mike Lee, North Carolina’s Thom Tillis and Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson — have all examined optimistic for Covid-19 since Friday, that means that they’re isolating for a time period (the CDC suggestions are 14 days). That outbreak prompted Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell to announce over the weekend that the Senate was not planning any votes till October 19. That stated, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) remains to be planning to carry Barrett’s affirmation listening to the week of October 12 — a transfer that has created important controversy, as Democrats insist that it isn’t clear the Senate is protected for the time being. After which there’s the onerous math: Two GOP senators (Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine) have stated they oppose holding a vote to verify a Supreme Court docket justice this near the election. Meaning McConnell can afford to lose just one extra vote and nonetheless be assured of affirmation. If any of the trio who’ve contracted coronavirus are unable to vote, that eliminates McConnell’s margin. (Way more on all of that here.)
* What occurs if Barrett is not confirmed earlier than Election Day?: The choice for the White Home and Senate Republicans is to get Barrett on the Court docket earlier than November 3. However as famous above, that’s not a positive factor for the time being. If the votes aren’t there earlier than the election, my guess is that Trump and Senate GOPers will attempt to affirm her in a lame-duck session — that means one after the election however earlier than the subsequent Congress is sworn in. That is no massive deal if Trump wins and Republicans hold management of the Senate. But when Trump loses and Republicans lose management of the Senate within the November election; it isn’t clear whether or not McConnell would be capable of spherical up the 50 votes he must get Barrett confirmed and, even when he might, how that may play with a public who would watch Republican senators who had misplaced solid a vastly monumental vote to put in a justice on the nation’s highest courtroom for all times.
* How a lot management does Trump have over his medical doctors?: It is a powerful one to reply solely as a result of a really small variety of folks know the precise reply — and so they aren’t speaking. However from all indications over the weekend, Trump’s medical crew appears very, very aware of their affected person and his views. Conley, requested about his evasiveness-bordering-on-falsehood in a briefing on Trump’s situation on Saturday, stated this on Sunday: “I used to be making an attempt to replicate the upbeat angle that the crew, the President in his course of sickness has had.” (Observe: The President shouldn’t be a medical physician.) Then there was Trump’s drive-by of his supporters on Sunday night time, which the White Home insisted was OKed by his medical doctors. (One wonders whether or not the medical doctors thought-about the health of the two Secret Service agents tasked with parading Trump around.)
* If Trump is discharged, does that imply he’s out of the woods?: I’m not a physician (sorry Mother!) however all indications are that if Trump is launched by his medical crew from Walter Reed that they consider is in out of instant hazard from the virus for now. Conley put it this fashion: “Although he will not be solely out of the woods but, the crew and I agree that every one our evaluations, and most significantly, his scientific standing, help the President’s protected return residence, the place he’ll be surrounded by world class medical care.”
In fact, Covid-19 remains to be a really new illness — we did not even comprehend it existed a 12 months in the past! — and infectious illness specialists proceed to study an increasing number of about its long-term results on the physique. There are already various documented instances of so-called “long haulers” — individuals who proceed to wrestle with Covid-19 issues weeks and months after the preliminary onset of signs.
“We’re in a little bit of uncharted territory in terms of a affected person that acquired the therapies he has so early within the course,” Conley stated on Monday. “So we’re trying to this weekend — if we will get by means of Monday with him remaining the identical enhancements — higher but, then we are going to all take that ultimate deep sigh of aid.”
* What number of extra Trump aides will get Covid-19?: McEnany in addition to two different junior White Home press aides examined optimistic on Monday. That brings the quantity contaminated on this White Home (and Trump marketing campaign, in addition to his GOP orbit) cluster to 14. (Full list here). As McEnany’s optimistic take a look at — after a number of days of destructive exams — proves, the virus could take a number of days to manifest in somebody’s physique. (The incubation interval for Covid-19 is 2 to 14 days.) Given the variety of folks in Trump’s orbit who’ve already examined optimistic and the lackadaisical angle the President and his high aides have taken to mask-wearing and social distancing, it appears seemingly that there shall be extra instances.
