# Trump and Melania test positive for COVID-19 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 2, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010 "2020-10-02T05:07:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/663 "2020-10-03T22:18:02Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > . . . as the virus which he allowed to kill American citizens is now working its will on him. Because the virus doesn’t care about ideology. It doesn’t care about it being called a ‘hoax’. It is at war with America, and Donald Trump surrendered without firing a shot while the virus kept fighting… and now, the President himself is a casualty in the War against COVID. While reiterating that I do not wish ill for Trump himself (only his presidency), I will remind everyone how much he likes to compare himself to Abraham Lincoln and that Lincoln is known as the last casualty of the civil war. Hopefully the Trump administration will be one of the last casualties of the war against Corona Virus 19. (And that Trump himself will recover a redeemed man who is better in the future.) ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/664 "2020-10-03T22:20:02Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Who says 72 hours when they mean the 3rd day? No one, it won’t be 72 hours from Thursday until Sunday tonight. To be fair, medical people speak that way all the time. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/665 "2020-10-03T22:32:32Z")
> **[Secret Service Outraged Over Covid Exposure from Trump](https://www.mediaite.com/news/trumps-security-detail-reportedly-outraged-over-covid-exposure-this-administration-doesnt-care-about-the-secret-service-its-so-obvious/)** > > Trump's security detail reportedly outraged over Covid exposure from the president: 'This administration doesn't care about the Secret Service. …It’s so obvious' ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/666 "2020-10-03T22:33:43Z")
…just to add a different perspective to this, from a person in a country that has managed to eliminate Covid-19 twice. So a day ago the NZ Ministry of Health (MOH) figured out the probable source of a recent Covid-19 case. It was a rubbish bin. The bin was in a Managed Isolation Facility in a corridor, and through investigation work they discovered that the rubbish bin was the commonality between two different cases. This is a very tricky virus. And the behaviour we’ve been seeing here, no masks, hugging, no social distancing, as we all know they greatly increase the chance of transmission. But here’s the thing: we are only really scratching the surface here. I think it would be interesting to compare the New Zealand approach to an outbreak to what we have here. The last outbreak was called the Americold Cluster, named after the place where the index case most probably got infected. With the Whitehouse Cluster we don’t have an index case, we don’t know the source, and we don’t have an accurate timeline. When the Americold Cluster was identified the Auckland region elevated to Alert Level 3, roadblocks went up, people were required to stay in their household bubble and to maintain physical distancing. The rest of the country elevated to Alert Level 2. Testing got ramped up. We went from under a hundred tests a day (outside of managed isolation) to over 25,000 tests per day overnight. Contact tracing started. People fit into one of either two categories: a Close Contact is someone who is likely to be at a higher risk of being infected. A Casual Contact is someone with exposure to the case but who doesn’t fit the Close Contact criteria. (As the Americold Cluster closes out, the Contact Tracing Team identified and contacted 100% of all Close Contacts) The country got daily updates as the MOH tracked the progress of the virus. We would find out that Person B had shopped at a supermarket, that supermarket had closed for the day and was deep cleaned. We tracked the virus as it travelled to the North Shore on a bus. We saw a mini-cluster open up at an evangelical church. Testing initially focused on firstly Close Contacts, then anybody who had symptoms. People who didn’t fit those criteria were asked not to test, but to contact their GP. As the cluster came under control those without symptoms started to get tested and surveillance testing ramped up. Close Contacts were required to self-isolate for 14 days. People that tested positive and the people in their bubble were (almost all) moved into Managed Isolation facilities to lessen the chance of further transmission. This is the New Zealand protocol. So its utterly mindboggling for me to see what is going on with the Whitehouse. All of the close contacts should be self-isolating for 14 days. This include Joe Biden and Chris Wallace, **even if they have tested negative**. The Whitehouse needs to be shut down and deep cleaned. Wearing masks at this stage simply isn’t enough. This is a major cluster. Contact Tracing and Testing should be working at overdrive. We should be hearing stories of hundreds of people going into self-isolation. Instead all we hear about experimental treatments, talking heads talking about the things that talking heads do, and while we do that **people are still spreading the virus.** There is no plan for this. There literally isn’t a protocol in place to deal with an outbreak at the Whitehouse and nobody seems to have noticed. And if it is this bad at the center of power in the most powerful nation in the world, what the hell is going on in the rest of the country? You could bring this under control if you want. But in order to do that you really need to start paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/667 "2020-10-03T22:35:52Z")
I’m a medical person and I would never say 72 hours unless I meant 72 hours. No way would someone describe the time from late Thursday to early Saturday as 72 hours. It’s far too imprecise. I would either say “he first developed symptoms a day and a half ago” or “ the symptoms started about 40 hours ago”. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/668 "2020-10-03T22:43:04Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > You could bring this under control if you want. But in order to do that you really need to start paying attention. I don’t think that’s all we need. We need to be locking people up who refuse to quarantine. Like the attorney general: > **[Bill Barr Criticized for Refusing to Quarantine | Law & Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/covid-19-pandemic/absolutely-reckless-ag-barrs-refusal-to-quarantine-after-rose-garden-superspreader-event-sparks-backlash/)** > > Attorney General Bill Barr is facing a mounting avalanche of criticism and concern over his decision to forego quarantine procedures after he was recently in close contact with several people who have since tested positive for the novel coronavirus... ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/669 "2020-10-03T22:45:04Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > just to add a different perspective to this, from a person in a country… …whose government actually cares about the well-being of their citizens. That’s the main difference. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/670 "2020-10-03T22:45:47Z")
I was thinking about the island piece **and** the basic humanity piece 😉 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/671 "2020-10-03T22:51:35Z")
> **[Christie checks into hospital after COVID-19 diagnosis](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/519495-christie-checks-into-hospital-after-covid-19-diagnosis/)** > > Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced Saturday that he had checked himself into a local hospital hours after he tested positive for COVID-19, describing it as a “precautionary me… ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/672 "2020-10-03T22:51:50Z")
Just like you can somewhat evaluate a potential mate by how he or she treats the waitstaff at your first dinner together, you can judge a president’s character by how he treats his protection detail. By all reports, SS agents hate being around the current POTUS while speaking fondly of their professional relationships with his predecessors. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/673 "2020-10-03T22:55:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > They already gave him experimental monoclonal antibodies under “compassionate use”. Why are they experimenting on Trump? They get attached to the mice. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/674 "2020-10-03T22:57:37Z")
No, it is more like one in a million. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/675 "2020-10-03T22:59:15Z")
Joe has suspended _Negative_ campaigning only. and I am sure the Lincoln project wont stop. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/676 "2020-10-03T22:59:25Z")
> [@Temporary\_Name](#): > > If there is a Christian god I implore you to treat Donald J. Trump by the words of your sacred book, Romans 2: 5-6 and reward him according to his deeds 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[[a](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%202&version=NIV#fen-NIV-27969a)] The situation is so bizarre, atheists are hitting the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/677 "2020-10-03T23:03:13Z")
I dont think a robot _can_ be infected by a virus. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/678 "2020-10-03T23:03:58Z")
I bet Stuxnet could infect a robot. It might not do anything though. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/679 "2020-10-03T23:04:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I dont think a robot _can_ be infected by a virus. The next wave of cyber-crime. Viruses that can infect both machines and man! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/680 "2020-10-03T23:06:13Z")
You wish is my command. > **[Amy Coney Barrett’s Rose Garden Event Complicates GOP Confirmation Plans](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcconnell-cancels-senate-votes-for-two-weeks-as-republican-lawmakers-test-positive-for-coronavirus-2020-10-03)** > > Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who attended the ceremony marking Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court have tested positive for the coronavirus. Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both members of the Judiciary Committee, said Friday they had tested positive for the coronavirus. Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) said Saturday that he had also received a positive test. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/681 "2020-10-03T23:07:28Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > [https://www.mediaite.com/news/trumps-security-detail-reportedly-outraged-over-covid-exposure-this-administration-doesnt-care-about-the-secret-service-its-so-obvious/](https://www.mediaite.com/news/trumps-security-detail-reportedly-outraged-over-covid-exposure-this-administration-doesnt-care-about-the-secret-service-its-so-obvious/) _Of course_ Trump doesn’t care about the health and safety of the Secret Service. 1. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. 2. From his viewpoint the SS are servants of some sort, so they probably barely register as human to him 3. In Trump’s world, anyone willing to take a bullet for someone else is a fool and a “loser”, so what does it matter if it’s a bullet or a virus? I could probably keep going, but that’s enough. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010/682 "2020-10-03T23:07:50Z")
Sorry but that is a bit of an ignorant dig. Osteopathic physicians attend the same residencies as allopathic MDs and a higher fraction of osteopathic physicians are among the best docs I know than allopathic ones. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-melania-test-positive-for-covid-19/922010.md?page=35)