Trump tests negative for COVID-19, set to hold rally in Florida

WASHINGTON, USA | XINHUA |   White House physician Sean Conley said on Monday that President Donald Trump has tested negative for COVID-19, 12 days after the president tested positive with the virus.

Trump has tested negative “on consecutive days” and is “not infectious to others,” according to a memo from Conley.

“It is important to note that this test was not used in isolation for the determination of the president’s current negative status,” Conley said.

“Repeatedly negative antigen tests, taken in context with additional clinical and laboratory data, including viral load, subgenomic RNA, and PCR cycle threshold measurements, as well as ongoing assessment of viral culture data, all indicate a lack of detectable viral replication,” the doctor said.

“The comprehensive data, in concert with the CDC’s guidelines for removal of transmission-based precautions, have informed our medical team’s assessment that the president is not infectious to others,” said Conley.

Trump is set to take the stage in Sanford, Florida, on Monday night, his first reelection campaign trip since he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 1 and was later hospitalized for three days before returning to the White House with continued treatment.

Before and after Trump’s infection, a number of White House staff have also confirmed positive for the virus.

With the presidential election 22 days away and early voting underway in many states, the country has logged 7.8 million COVID-19 cases, and that number is expected to climb over 8 million by late Thursday, according to a projection by NBC News.

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XINHUA