Trump’s COVID-19 saga: Buhari, other world leaders wish US President, family quick recovery; VP Pence, wife negative; Biden reacts

Oct. 2, 2020

World leaders on Friday wished U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump a speedy recovery after they tested positive for COVID-19.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari were among the world leaders wishing Trump and his wife quick recovery and offering their “sincere support” to their U.S. counterpart.

Putin wished Trump and his wife a “speedy recovery and expressed sincere support at this difficult moment,” the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday.

In his message to Trump, Putin said: “I am sure that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with the dangerous virus,” according to the Kremlin statement.

“Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus,” tweeted Prime Minister Johnson, who survived a bout with Covid-19, the disease that can be caused by the virus, earlier this year.

Netanyahu also wished the U.S. President and his wife a quick recovery:
“Like millions of Israelis, Sara and I are thinking of Trump and Melania and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery,” Netanyahu said, as quoted by his office.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Finance Minister Israel Katz and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein joined the Prime Minister’s wishes.

Israel and the U.S. have enjoyed good relations since Trump came into office in 2016, with the two leaders reported to be close.

Similarly, Merkel wishes Trump and his wife Melania a full recovery from the coronavirus.
“I send Donald and Melania Trump all my good wishes. I hope that they recover well from their coronavirus infection and are soon fully healthy again,” Merkel says via her spokesman on Twitter.

President Buhari prayed for the quick and full recovery of Trump and Melania, noting, in a statement by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity) “that the incident of COVID-19 in the White House manifests the challenge posed by the pandemic across the world, and difficulty in containing the spread.”

He used the opportunity to urge “more compliance among Nigerians to protocols, and adherence to advice of medical doctors, particularly epidemiologists.”

Also, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wishes a speedy recovery from the coronavirus for the US President and First Lady.
“I sincerely hope that they will overcome the quarantine period without problems and regain their health as soon as possible,” Erdogan writes on Twitter.

Similarly, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday wished Trump and his wife a “full and speedy” recovery.
In a Facebook post, al-Sisi also wished the couple “to overcome that period swiftly to resume the U.S. efforts to combat the virus at the international level.”
Trump said on Friday that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for COVID-19 and were going into quarantine.

“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” the president said in a tweet.

Melania tweeted that she and her husband are quarantining at home “as too many Americans have done this year.”

“We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements,” she said. “Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.”

Trump’s positive test means that others at the highest levels of the U.S government may have been exposed and would have to quarantine, too.

A White House official said contact tracing was under way.

In a memo, White House physician Sean Conley said he received confirmation on Thursday evening that the couple had tested positive for the virus.

He said he expected the president to carry out his duties “without disruption” while he recovers.

“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 in a memo that was distributed to the press.

“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,” Conley said.

On Thursday night, news broke that Hope Hicks, a top adviser and trusted aide, had tested positive for the virus.

Hicks had traveled with the president multiple times this week, including on board Marine One, the presidential helicopter, for a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, as well as on Air Force One to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.

“Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for COVID-19.

Terrible!” Trump said in a Tweet late Thursday night.

Trump said he and the first lady had spent “a lot of time” with Hicks, while acknowledging that it was difficult for him and those close to him to avoid the virus.

Many people, including members of the military, interact with them on a regular basis.

“It’s very hard when you’re with soldiers, when you are with airmen, when you’re with the Marines, and the police officers, I’m with them so much.

And when they come over to you, it’s hard to say, ‘stay back, stay back.’ You know, it’s a tough kind of a situation, it’s a terrible thing,” he said.

The White House regularly tests Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for COVID-19 and administers tests to those who come in close contact with them, including members of the press and other White House guests.

In addition to Hicks, multiple White House officials, including Trump’s national security advisor Robert O’Brien and other staffers have previously tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have tested negative for COVID-19 after President Trump and First Lady Melania contracted the disease, Pence’s press secretary, Devin O’Malley said via Twitter on Friday.

“As has been routine for months, Pence is tested for COVID-19 every day.
“This morning, Pence and his wife tested negative for COVID-19. Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery,” O’Malley said.

More than 200,000 people have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in the United States alone. The elderly and those with pre-existing conditions have been especially hard hit.

Pence tweeted early Friday morning that he and his wife send their love and prayers to Trump and Melania. “We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery,” the vice president added.

There have been more than 7.2 million COVID-19 infections in the U.S. as of early Friday, with 207,808 deaths.

Meanwhile, Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have expressed solidarity with President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania.
“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery.

“We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” Biden, the president’s rival in the Nov. 3 presidential election tweeted on Friday morning.

Minutes later, Harris, also tweeted her reaction.
“Doug and I join Joe Biden and Dr Biden in wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery.
“We’re keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts”, she said.

Their messages came hours after Trump broke the news himself on Twitter on Thursday night.

Chairperson of Trump’s party tests positive for COVID-19

In another development, the Chairperson, U.S. Republican National Committee, Ms Ronna McDaniel, has also tested positive to COViD-19 and is recovering at home in Michigan, the party announced on Friday.

“After a member of her family tested positive for COVID-19, the chairwoman was tested for the virus.
“On Wednesday afternoon, she got confirmation she was COVID-19 positive.
“She has been at her home in Michigan since last Saturday,” Fox News quoted spokesman of the party, Steve Guest, as saying.

The announcement came hours after President Trump, who is the party’s candidate in the Nov. 3 presidential election, and his wife, Melania, tested positive for the virus.