Halle Coleman
Staff Writer/ MC-301
At the start of the month and almost immediately after the first presidential debate, it was announced to the public that current President Donald Trump and his wife Melania tested positive for COVID-19.
Initially, Trump reportedly only had mild COVID-19 symptoms and was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House announced Trump received an experimental antibody treatment after his positive test.
The double-antibody treatment included cells from a human who had recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The other antibody is from a mouse, which was engineered to have a human immune system, that had the spike protein injected into it.
The president’s medical team later confirmed reports that he had started a course of remdesivir. Remdesivir is an antiviral drug used to help hospitalized COVID-19 patients. It was originally created to treat the hepatitis C virus.
After failing, it was tried against Ebola and other viruses. According to the FDA and Science, the drug restrains viral enzymes used for replication of the pathogen and it demonstrated a modest clinical benefit in a trial with hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
His physicians had revealed over the weekend that Trump’s oxygen levels dropped worrying low and that he had required supplemental oxygen in addition to being given a steroid normally used for severe COVID-19 cases.
The news came as a shock to many citizens, given the fact that in the past Trump has seemingly downplayed to the virus and its effects in press conferences and briefings. Social media erupted with viral reactions and memes, the majority celebrating the diagnosis.
Christan Jackson, a freshman biology major from Chicago, Ill., felt as if the 45th president had it coming.
“It’s very hard for me to feel sympathy for somebody who has not shown sympathy for U.S. citizens since being elected. He has lied about the virus, covered stuff up, and overall been insensitive so I feel as if it was only a matter of time before he had it coming,” said Jackson.
Jeniah Clark, a transfer fifth-year senior from Jackson, Miss., practices Christianity and does not necessarily support Trump, but also does not wish any harm to him.
“I don’t agree with his policies or the things he’s said but I also don’t believe in wishing death on anybody. That’s just wrong and heartless in my opinion because I was raised otherwise,” Clark said.
Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, also tested positive for the coronavirus about the same time as his parents. However, it was not disclosed until the first lady released a statement online via the White House website detailing her personal experience.
The first lady revealed she, Barron, and the president have since tested negative.
“Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together,” Melania Trump wrote.
Trump said during the town hall event aired on NBC on Oct. 15 that he does not remember being tested for the coronavirus before the first presidential debate.
“I don’t know, I don’t even remember. I test all the time,” Trump said to Savannah Guthrie when asked whether he had been tested on the day of the debate.
“I can tell you this, after the debate — like, I guess, a day or so — I think it was Thursday evening, maybe even late Thursday evening I tested positive. That’s when I first found out,” Trump continued.
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has resumed contrast and negative spots on TV and digital campaigns. The campaign pulled negative advertising following President Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis.
The last presidential debate will be held on Oct. 22, 2020, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. NBC News’s Kristen Welker is set to serve as the moderator. The issues to be covered during the debate have not yet been announced.
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