Tag: pandemic

Capitol physician expands testing, but remains selective

Congress still has no formal testing program

Lawmakers and staff on Capitol Hill have expanded access to on-site COVID-19 testing through the Office of the Attending Physician, according to new guidance released Friday. The details on availability of the testing, though, do not appear to be widely known and underscore that there is no uniform testing regime for the legislative branch. 

“The testing is available in medically indicated cases of Members who have symptoms suggestive of coronavirus or who are concerned they may have been exposed to a known positive Covid 19 patient,” the guidance reads. “The testing is available throughout the day. Other staff members who have been in contact with a known positive case here at the Capitol are also offered testing.”

This is the first time that staffers have had access to tests if they were potentially exposed to the virus over the course of their work duties. Continue reading.

This is exactly why we need to know the truth about Trump’s health

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With the news that the president of the United States has been infected by the virus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans, the consequences of this White House’s propensity to lie take on a new level of seriousness.

Public confidence demands that Americans be given the straight story about President Trump’s condition. This is also a matter of national security, as U.S. allies and adversaries around the world monitor the situation.

Over and over again on issues of Trump’s health, the president’s aides have shown more concern for stroking Trump’s ego and furthering his political agenda than telling the truth. Continue reading.

Trump’s test shows how COVID-19 might threaten Barrett confirmation

Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican member of Senate Judiciary, has tested posted for COVID-19

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that President Donald Trump’s positive COVID-19 case underscores that the coronavirus is the biggest threat to the confirmation of the current Supreme Court nominee. 

Democrats procedurally can’t do anything to stop a confirmation vote on the Senate floor before the Nov. 3 presidential election, McConnell told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

But with a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, and two Republicans already saying they opposed a confirmation vote for Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett so close to the election, McConnell has a thin margin for a vote. Continue reading.

Trump’s test sparks fears of spread: Here’s who he met in last week

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President Trump’s positive coronavirus test is raising immediate questions about the spread of the disease given his packed schedule and events with, among others, his nominee to the Supreme Court and his rival for the White House.

Just this week, Trump attended the first presidential debate, held meetings with top aides, spoke at a campaign rally and traveled to a fundraiser.

Depending on when Trump was first exposed, dozens of people may be at risk. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the risks of the virus, and he and his staff often do not wear masks.  Continue reading.

Trump is the “single largest driver” of coronavirus misinformation in the world: study

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President Donald Trump is responsible for nearly 38% of coronavirus misinformation in traditional media around the world, according to a new study by researchers at Cornell University.

The study looked at what the World Health Organization has termed the “infodemic” of misinformation about the new coronavirus across 38 million traditional media articles published between Jan. 1 and May 26 in English-language media around the world.

“We found that media mentions of U.S. President Donald Trump within the context of COVID-19 misinformation made up by far the largest share of the infodemic,” the study said, noting that Trump mentions comprised 37.9% of the overall misinformation conversation. Continue reading.

House approves $2.2T COVID-19 relief bill as White House talks stall

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House Democrats on Thursday approved a massive, $2.2 trillion package of coronavirus relief, lending political cover to party centrists in tough races while putting fresh pressure on Senate Republicans to move another round of emergency aid before the coming elections.

The vote arrived only after last-ditch negotiations between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday failed to yield a bipartisan agreement — and it sent a signal that the prospects for such a deal before Nov. 3 have dimmed considerably.

The bill was approved by a tally of 214 to 207, but to secure passage, Pelosi and her leadership team had to stave off a late revolt from a surprisingly large number of centrists who were furious that Pelosi had staged a vote on a bill with no chance of becoming law. Continue reading.

Live updates: WH chief of staff says Trump’s vitals over past 24 hours are ‘very concerning’

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NOTE: This article about COVID-19 is provided free of charge by The Washington Post.

The White House on Saturday created a startling amount of confusion on the timing of President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis and the status of his health through a series of conflicting statements, injecting an extraordinary degree of uncertainty into the nation’s understanding of the president’s condition and who may have been exposed to the deadly virus.

At a Saturday morning news conference, members of Trump’s medical team at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said the president is fever-free and that they are “extremely happy” with the progress he has made. But Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, said Trump went through a “very concerning” period over the last day.

“The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care,” Meadows said. “We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.” Continue reading.

Minnesota tops 100,000 COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations rise

State surpasses 100,000 lab-confirmed infections with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. 

Thirteen COVID-19 deaths were reported by Minnesota hospital authorities on Thursday along with new data showing rising hospitalizations due to the infectious disease.

The Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday also reported that the state surpassed 100,000 lab-confirmed infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. In total, the state has now reported 2,049 COVID-19 deaths and 100,200 infections, including 89,980 people who have recovered to the point that they are no longer risks for spreading the virus.

The Health Department’s new method of reporting COVID-19 hospitalizations showed a rising trend of patients newly admitted due to severe illnesses. The latest state data showed that at least 356 people were admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 in the seven-day period ending Sunday. That is the highest seven-day total since June 1. Continue reading.

Joe Biden Tests Negative For Coronavirus After Trump Announces He Is Infected

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign announced on Friday afternoon that he and wife Jill Biden were both tested for coronavirus with negative results. 

Their announcement followed hours of uproar over President Donald Trump’s tweet announcing that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus yesterday — along with White House aide Hope Hicks. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters that the president has “mild symptoms” but is “overall feeling good.” View the post here.

Trump Tests Positive for the Coronavirus

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The president’s result came after he spent months playing down the severity of the outbreak that has killed more than 207,000 in the United States and hours after insisting that “the end of the pandemic is in sight.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump revealed early Friday morning that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive for the coronavirus, throwing the nation’s leadership into uncertainty and escalating the crisis posed by a pandemic that has already killed more than 207,000 Americans and devastated the economy.

Mr. Trump, who for months has played down the seriousness of the virus and hours earlier on Thursday night told an audience that “the end of the pandemic is in sight,” will quarantine in the White House for an unspecified period of time, forcing him to withdraw at least temporarily from the campaign trail only 32 days before the election on Nov. 3.

The dramatic disclosure came in a Twitter message just before 1 a.m. after a suspenseful evening following reports that Mr. Trump’s close adviser Hope Hicks had tested positive. In her own tweet about 30 minutes later, Mrs. Trump wrote that the first couple were “feeling good,” but the White House did not say whether they were experiencing symptoms. The president’s physician said he could carry out his duties “without disruption” from the Executive Mansion. Continue reading.