US President Donald Trump returned to work in his Oval Office on Wednesday, despite accusations for being too careless with the safety of his employees. Trump was tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday and was in the hospital for three days. In a Twitter video, he announced that he wants to quickly approve the experimental treatment he has received himself.
Trump has been back in the White House since Monday. A White House spokesman confirms American media that the president was back in office for the first time on Wednesday. Trump is said to have been briefed on Hurricane Delta, which is currently heading to the Gulf of Mexico, and about the negotiations for an economic support package.
According to the spokesman, the employees of the president can do their job in a safe way. “We can disinfect regularly,” he says.
Trump was previously accused of being too careless with the safety of the people around him. For example, he briefly left the hospital where he was staying on Sunday to allow himself to be driven around and to wave to supporters. At that time there were security guards in the car with him. He also immediately took off his mouth mask upon arrival at the White House on Monday.
Doctor: ‘President has no symptoms for 24 hours’
White House physician Sean Conley announced earlier in the day that the president would have had no symptoms of the coronavirus for 24 hours. He would also have been fever-free for more than four days.
It is not yet known whether this means that the second debate in the run-up to the presidential election on November 3 can continue. The debate is scheduled for October 15.
Trump: ‘Infection with corona is a blessing from God’
In a Twittervideo, admitted to the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump promises anyone who has become ill from the coronavirus like him free treatment with the synthetic antibodies of Regeneron. He says it is a “blessing from God” that he received corona, otherwise he would never have heard of this medicine.
The Regeneron treatment (official name REGN-COV2) is a so-called cocktail of two antibodies made in a lab. Research into the cocktail began in June. It is currently in phase three, testing the safety of a drug on larger groups of people. Scientists call the treatment “promising”. The US Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (FDA) has not yet officially approved the experimental therapy, however, Trump wants to pave the way through an emergency permit.
According to Trump, who has received the drug himself, there are hundreds of thousands of doses to be distributed quickly, he wants to use the military for this. “I said let me take it, it was my suggestion. It was incredible how it worked. Everyone should get the same treatment as I do. If you’re in the hospital, you get it for free.”
Trump also acknowledged that a vaccine against the coronavirus is unlikely to be available before the election, despite his promise that it would.
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