114-729: The White House COVID-19 outbreak was a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections that began in September 2020 and ended in January 2021 that spread among people, including many U.S. government officials, who were in close contact during the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C. Numerous high-profile individuals were infected, including then President Donald Trump , who was hospitalized for three days. At least 48 White House staff members or associates, closely working with White House personnel, tested positive for
228-612: A Washington Post op-ed that Trump's behavior was part of a longstanding pattern of endangering others; he also criticized Secret Service management for an "inexcusable lack of concern" for the health of agents and their families. At 2:37 p.m. EDT on October 5, Trump tweeted that he would be discharged from the hospital at 6:30 p.m. that day. However, doctors said in an afternoon news briefing that Trump continued to be treated with dexamethasone and remdesivir. The prospect of Trump's early release astonished infectious disease experts, who noted that Trump planned to be discharged in
342-476: A bat-borne virus . Research is ongoing as to whether SARS‑CoV‑2 came directly from bats or indirectly through any intermediate hosts. The virus shows little genetic diversity , indicating that the spillover event introducing SARS‑CoV‑2 to humans is likely to have occurred in late 2019. Epidemiological studies estimate that in the period between December 2019 and September 2020 each infection resulted in an average of 2.4–3.4 new infections when no members of
456-517: A superspreader (a highly contagious person), and that they could have been avoided if face masks were worn and social distancing was practiced. He said, "Whoever got this thing going is a superspreader". The outdoor portion of the event was less likely to be a super-spreader event than the indoor portion. At least 10 members of the Notre Dame faculty besides Jenkins attended the event, but as of October 7, none had tested positive. On November 10, it
570-572: A COVID-19 test, required before traveling with the President to a rally in Pennsylvania . Kellyanne Conway's daughter Claudia revealed on social media on the evening of October 2 that her mother had tested positive for COVID-19. The same day, Senators Lee and Tillis were revealed to have tested positive. Christie confirmed on October 3 that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Christie had been present at debate preparation for Trump as well as
684-467: A family of viruses. By 12 January 2020, five genomes of SARS‑CoV‑2 had been isolated from Wuhan and reported by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) and other institutions; the number of genomes increased to 42 by 30 January 2020. A phylogenetic analysis of those samples showed they were "highly related with at most seven mutations relative to a common ancestor ", implying that
798-540: A fever and his blood oxygen level had dropped rapidly". The Associated Press reported that "a person familiar with Trump's condition confirmed that Trump was given oxygen at the White House" in the morning before arriving at Walter Reed, although Trump's doctors refused to say whether he had ever been given supplemental oxygen. Trump had Walter Reed personnel sign non-disclosure agreements in 2019 before they could be involved in treating him. Two doctors refused to sign
912-454: A fundraiser at Bedminster : daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, body man Nick Luna, Trump's deputy chief of staff for communications Dan Scavino , and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Despite his exposure, Trump proceeded with the event, flying aboard Air Force One. The event had an indoor roundtable, an indoor VIP reception, and an outdoor reception. Trump spoke without a mask to over 200 supporters, most of whom also did not wear
1026-695: A good job for them." Without disclosing that he had already tested positive, he announced that he and the first lady were being tested for SARS-CoV-2. He repeated this via Twitter after the interview. Later that night, the result of the PCR test also came in positive. Trump was hospitalized the next day, October 2. On October 2, it was announced that Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien tested positive, as did Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson , who had been exposed to someone who tested positive when he returned to Washington D.C. on September 29. When he announced his test on October 3, Johnson said he had been with Trump over
1140-453: A mask. Attendees noted that Trump seemed "lethargic" and "not himself". He showed symptoms of a mild cough, some nasal congestion , and fatigue . Jayna McCarron, Coast Guard aide to President Trump, was assigned to accompany Trump to the Bedminster fundraiser. She later tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. After returning from Bedminster, Trump received a positive test result on a rapid test and
1254-678: A membrane protein that regulates the renin–angiotensin system. During the initial outbreak in Wuhan , China, various names were used for the virus; some names used by different sources included "the coronavirus" or "Wuhan coronavirus". In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended "2019 novel coronavirus" (2019-nCoV) as the provisional name for the virus. This was in accordance with WHO's 2015 guidance against using geographical locations, animal species, or groups of people in disease and virus names. On 11 February 2020,
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#17330923041561368-413: A mink euthanasia campaign rendering it virtually extinct. Each SARS-CoV-2 virion is 60–140 nanometres (2.4 × 10 –5.5 × 10 in) in diameter; its mass within the global human populace has been estimated as being between 0.1 and 10 kilograms. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 has four structural proteins, known as the S ( spike ), E ( envelope ), M ( membrane ), and N ( nucleocapsid ) proteins;
1482-496: A period when COVID-19 patients are particularly vulnerable (7–10 days after symptoms first appear) to unpredictable and rapid declines in condition. Outside physicians stated that the depiction of Trump's illness as relatively mild was inconsistent with the aggressive treatment he was receiving. Trump's medical team made cryptic remarks about his status and declined to say whether Trump's CT scans contained indications of pneumonia or lung damage. Trump made phone calls in which he shared
1596-550: A rally at the Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania, which was attended by thousands. The governor opposed the rally, arguing: "It is gravely concerning that the president would insist on holding this event with blatant disregard for social distancing and masking requirements. His decision to bring thousands of people together in a tight space in the midst of a global pandemic caused by an airborne virus
1710-421: A range of animals—such as cats, ferrets, hamsters, non-human primates, minks, tree shrews, raccoon dogs, fruit bats, and rabbits—that are susceptible and permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some institutions have advised that those infected with SARS‑CoV‑2 restrict their contact with animals. On 1 February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that "transmission from asymptomatic cases
1824-430: A single linear RNA segment. Coronaviruses infect humans, other mammals, including livestock and companion animals, and avian species. Human coronaviruses are capable of causing illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS, fatality rate ~34%). SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh known coronavirus to infect people, after 229E , NL63 , OC43 , HKU1 , MERS-CoV , and
1938-412: A site. The furin cleavage site PRRAR↓ is highly similar to that of the feline coronavirus , an alphacoronavirus 1 strain. Viral genetic sequence data can provide critical information about whether viruses separated by time and space are likely to be epidemiologically linked. With a sufficient number of sequenced genomes , it is possible to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree of the mutation history of
2052-746: A watch party in the East Room . Other infections included First Lady Melania Trump ; Republican Senators Thom Tillis , Mike Lee , and Ron Johnson ; Republican Representative Matt Gaetz ; Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien ; RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel ; former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway ; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ; Notre Dame president John I. Jenkins ; Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany ; presidential advisor Stephen Miller ; Chief of Staff Mark Meadows ; and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson . As of November 11, at least 48 people had tested positive. At least one person, White House security office head Crede Bailey,
2166-616: A week after the debate. The City of Cleveland said that at least 11 people who "were either members of the media or were scheduled to work logistics/set-up the days prior to the event" later tested positive. A year later, Christie—who had spent four days in the room with Trump, roleplaying Joe Biden—recalled that there had been seven people in the debate preparation room, and "six of the seven of us in that room got [COVID-19]." Those six included Trump, Christie, Hicks, Stepien, Conway, and Miller. Christie, who eventually required intensive care for his COVID-19, said "I think it's undeniable" that Trump
2280-556: Is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that is contagious in humans. SARS‑CoV‑2 is a strain of the species Betacoronavirus pandemicum (SARSr-CoV), as is SARS-CoV-1 , the virus that caused the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak . There are animal-borne coronavirus strains more closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the most closely known relative being the BANAL-52 bat coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 is of zoonotic origin; its close genetic similarity to bat coronaviruses suggests it emerged from such
2394-477: Is another possible cause of infection. Preliminary research indicates that the virus may remain viable on plastic ( polypropylene ) and stainless steel ( AISI 304 ) for up to three days, but it does not survive on cardboard for more than one day or on copper for more than four hours. The virus is inactivated by soap, which destabilizes its lipid bilayer . Viral RNA has also been found in stool samples and semen from infected individuals. The degree to which
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#17330923041562508-425: Is approximately 30,000 bases in length, relatively long for a coronavirus—which in turn carry the largest genomes among all RNA families. Its genome consists nearly entirely of protein-coding sequences, a trait shared with other coronaviruses. A distinguishing feature of SARS‑CoV‑2 is its incorporation of a polybasic site cleaved by furin , which appears to be an important element enhancing its virulence. It
2622-406: Is believed to be the first individual to ever undergo both treatments simultaneously. At an 11 a.m. press conference on October 3, Conley stated that Trump was not currently on oxygen, that he had not had a fever for the past 24 hours, and that he was "doing very well". Conley described Trump as being "just 72 hours into the diagnosis now", raising questions among journalists about when
2736-571: Is flat out wrong." After Trump's diagnosis was made public, Pennsylvania health officials advised attendees to participate in the state's contact tracing program. In the wake of the rally, the county saw a surge in COVID-19. Trump hosted Gold Star families and Pentagon leaders in the East Room of the White House. Attendees were photographed seated in close proximity and not wearing masks. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and General Mark Milley , Chairman of
2850-449: Is likely not a major driver of transmission". One meta-analysis found that 17% of infections are asymptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals were 42% less likely to transmit the virus. However, an epidemiological model of the beginning of the outbreak in China suggested that "pre-symptomatic shedding may be typical among documented infections" and that subclinical infections may have been
2964-632: Is the protein responsible for allowing the virus to attach to and fuse with the membrane of a host cell; specifically, its S1 subunit catalyzes attachment, the S2 subunit fusion. White House Coronavirus Task Force The White House Coronavirus Task Force was the United States Department of State task force during the Trump administration . The goal of the Task Force was to coordinate and oversee
3078-536: Is unqualified for the job. Operation Warp Speed was initiated in early April to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines , therapeutics, and diagnostics after a round-table meeting with Trump, Pence and industry executives at the White House on March 2. On September 29, the task force overruled the CDC's recommendation regarding when passenger cruise ships should be allowed to resume sailing. The CDC wanted to extend
3192-415: The COVID-19 pandemic . The virus previously had the provisional name 2019 novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ), and has also been called human coronavirus 2019 ( HCoV-19 or hCoV-19 ). First identified in the city of Wuhan , Hubei, China, the World Health Organization designated the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern from January 30, 2020, to May 5, 2023. SARS‑CoV‑2
3306-473: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) several times. The New York Times reported that the CDC's leadership has been criticized during the pandemic, for mismanaging the testing kit rollout and changing its guidance on transmission of the virus; the White House says it is following the science in overruling the CDC. In March 2020, the task force deployed a team to cope with test kit shortages across
3420-656: The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses adopted the official name "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS‑CoV‑2). To avoid confusion with the disease SARS , the WHO sometimes refers to SARS‑CoV‑2 as "the COVID-19 virus" in public health communications and the name HCoV-19 was included in some research articles. Referring to COVID-19 as the "Wuhan virus" has been described as dangerous by WHO officials, and as xenophobic by many journalists and academics. Human-to-human transmission of SARS‑CoV‑2
3534-504: The Physician to the President since 2018. Because he was a Navy commander, Conley was obliged to follow the orders of his commander-in-chief. Trump, who was wearing a mask, was briefly filmed walking unassisted from the White House to the Marine One helicopter outside to transport him to Walter Reed. According to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Trump was hospitalized because he "had
White House COVID-19 outbreak - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-541: The Trump International Hotel . On October 1, McDaniel appeared on Fox News and made no mention of her health, despite receiving confirmation of her positive test result on the afternoon of September 30. Two days later, an RNC spokesperson announced that McDaniel had tested positive. On September 26, 2020, an event was held in the White House Rose Garden announcing Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to
3762-459: The WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and on January 31, the Trump administration declared a public health emergency , and placed travel restrictions on entry by non-citizens who had recently been in China. On February 26, U.S. vice president Mike Pence replaced Azar as chair. The task force reviewed all coronavirus-related actions by federal agencies, and overruled
3876-506: The West Wing who did use them often faced ridicule from others. In April, the White House became one of the first locations to gain access to rapid-turnaround COVID-19 tests . The White House relied upon rapid-tests which lacked FDA -approval for use in asymptomatic individuals. Throughout the spring, there had been sporadic cases of COVID-19 reported at the White House. On March 20, it
3990-469: The index case ". The authors later published a correction that showed that shedding began earlier than first estimated, four to five days before symptoms appear. There is uncertainty about reinfection and long-term immunity. It is not known how common reinfection is, but reports have indicated that it is occurring with variable severity. The first reported case of reinfection was a 33-year-old man from Hong Kong who first tested positive on 26 March 2020,
4104-483: The nasal cavity is seemingly the dominant initial site of infection, with subsequent aspiration -mediated virus-seeding into the lungs in SARS‑CoV‑2 pathogenesis. They found that there was an infection gradient from high in proximal towards low in distal pulmonary epithelial cultures, with a focal infection in ciliated cells and type 2 pneumocytes in the airway and alveolar regions respectively. Studies have identified
4218-462: The "face of the federal government's response" because according to an unnamed senator, "he has credibility", he "speaks with authority" and he "has respect in the medical community". The role of Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar was downsized, according to The Wall Street Journal , with Pence taking a larger role. The Task Force livestreamed press briefings at whitehouse.gov to communicate updates, guidelines, and policy changes to
4332-725: The Army James C. McConville , Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown Jr. , Chief of Space Operations John W. Raymond , Chief the National Guard Bureau Daniel Hokanson , and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command Paul Nakasone . Of those quarantined, General Nakasone is a combatant commander , part of the direct chain of command from the president to the military, and also the Director of the National Security Agency . General Gary L. Thomas , assistant commandant of
4446-629: The COVID-19 pandemic response, to coordinating the Whole-of Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic". Peter Navarro was named in March the Defense Production Act policy coordinator for the federal government. The Defense Production Act gives the President broad powers to control manufacturing during emergencies. Navarro criticized the CDC for the testing problems, and has also criticized Fauci; critics like Chuck Schumer say Navarro
4560-751: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, attended the event. Admiral Charles Ray , vice commandant of the Coast Guard, attended the event, later tested positive and entered isolation on Oct 6. On October 2, Ray attended meetings at the Pentagon with members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On Oct 6 all but one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Gen. David H. Berger , Commandant of the Marine Corps – went into isolation, including Milley, Vice chairman John E. Hyten , Chief of Naval Operations Michael M. Gilday , Chief of Staff of
4674-613: The Marine Corps, stood in for Gen. Berger at the meeting and later tested positive with symptoms. Multiple White House personnel attended the September 29 debate at the Cleveland Clinic . Trump, Melania, and senior advisor Hope Hicks attended the debate and later tested positive. Senior advisor Stephen Miller was also on Air Force One for the trip and later tested positive. Also in attendance were Ivanka Trump and her siblings, Donald Jr., Eric, Lara and Tiffany Trump. Trump prepared for
White House COVID-19 outbreak - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-492: The N protein holds the RNA genome, and the S, E, and M proteins together create the viral envelope . Coronavirus S proteins are glycoproteins and also type I membrane proteins (membranes containing a single transmembrane domain oriented on the extracellular side). They are divided into two functional parts (S1 and S2). In SARS-CoV-2, the spike protein, which has been imaged at the atomic level using cryogenic electron microscopy ,
4902-677: The NDAs and were not allowed to have any involvement in his care. Medical personnel are already prohibited by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) from releasing personal health information without consent. Medical ethics professor Arthur Caplan called the NDAs redundant. On Friday afternoon, physicians revealed Trump had been given an experimental course of monoclonal antibodies from drug maker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals , which further confirmed that Trump had received an "8 gram dose of REGN-COV2 ". The drug
5016-537: The President Kellyanne Conway , and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie . Barrett had suffered infection in the summer before recovering and testing negative. Michael D. Shear , a White House correspondent for The New York Times , first tested positive for the virus October 2, as did many others. He was not present at the Rose Garden event, but had visited the White House on September 27 for
5130-401: The SARS‑CoV‑2 genome (matches above 90 percent may sound high, but in genomic terms it is a wide evolutionary gap ). In addition, despite similarities in a few critical amino acids, pangolin virus samples exhibit poor binding to the human ACE2 receptor. SARS‑CoV‑2 belongs to the broad family of viruses known as coronaviruses . It is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) virus, with
5244-593: The Supreme Court following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg . More than 150 people attended; they were told they did not need to wear masks if they had tested negative that day. Chairs for the outdoor ceremony were placed side by side, and there were two crowded indoor receptions. At least seven attendees tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the following week, including President Trump , First Lady Melania Trump , Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis , University of Notre Dame president John I. Jenkins , former Counselor to
5358-523: The United States, including airplanes, trains, buses, subways, and transit hubs. A federal mask mandate was supported by some airlines and the transportation worker unions; the task force said that such orders should be left up to states and local governments. On March 10, 2020, The Hill reported that U.S. Senate Republicans who had attended a briefing with President Donald Trump had encouraged him to hold more briefings and to make Anthony Fauci
5472-513: The White House Security Officer Crede Bailey was "gravely ill" with COVID-19 and had been in hospital since September. Bailey had been ill even before the September 26 Rose Garden event. Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER! At 12:54 a.m. EDT on October 2, Trump announced via Twitter that both he and
5586-533: The White House announced that it had completed contact tracing, but several reporters who had tested positive for the virus said the White House had not reached out to them. Hours after the ceremony, Trump tested positive for COVID-19, although the public would not learn of this result until late 2021. His chief of staff recalled that Trump looked "a little tired" and was suspected of having a "slight cold". Despite testing positive, Trump traveled in Air Force One to
5700-449: The White House scaled back the screening regime, but still required screening and testing for anyone coming into contact with the president or vice president. A Stanford preprint study concluded that likely over 30,000 cases and 700 deaths could be attributed to Trump rallies held between June 20 and September 22. On June 20, Trump held a campaign rally in Tulsa , the first since the start of
5814-455: The administration's efforts to monitor, prevent, contain, and mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Also referred to as the President's Coronavirus Task Force , it was established on January 29, 2020, with Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar as chair. On February 26, 2020, U.S. vice president Mike Pence was named to chair the task force, and Deborah Birx
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#17330923041565928-577: The amino acid sequence P RR A . This sequence is upstream of an arginine and serine which forms the S1/S2 cleavage site ( P RR A R ↓ S ) of the spike protein. Although such sites are a common naturally-occurring feature of other viruses within the Subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, it appears in few other viruses from the Beta-CoV genus, and it is unique among members of its subgenus for such
6042-638: The back of the plane for the flight home. A test confirmed her diagnosis as COVID-positive. Aides sensed that Trump was not feeling well during the Wednesday trip. The White House initially sought to keep Hicks' diagnosis secret, and as of the morning of Thursday, October 1, only a very small group of senior White House officials knew of Hicks' diagnosis. No mention of her diagnosis was made in press secretary Kayleigh McEnany's news briefing that day. McEnany later tested positive. After learning of Hicks's positive test, CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins said, "Why did
6156-410: The balcony, Trump appeared to breathe heavily as he steadied himself. He then gave a salute before walking inside. He later went back outside with a camera crew to reshoot his entrance. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS‑CoV‑2 ) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 , the respiratory illness responsible for
6270-590: The catering staff were quarantined after their exposure. That fundraiser was followed by a rally in Duluth . Hope Hicks, one of his closest advisors, accompanied Trump aboard Air Force One. The rally ended around 10 p.m. EDT. The Minnesota Department of Health later traced four cases to the Duluth rally. During the Minnesota rally, Hicks stayed aboard the plane because she was not feeling well, and she quarantined herself at
6384-458: The community were immune and no preventive measures were taken. However, some subsequent variants have become more infectious. The virus is airborne and primarily spreads between people through close contact and via aerosols and respiratory droplets that are exhaled when talking, breathing, or otherwise exhaling, as well as those produced from coughs and sneezes. It enters human cells by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2),
6498-447: The contrary, Donald Trump was not actually being tested daily. The timeline raised the possibility that Trump "might have tested positive before the Sept. 29 debate, failed to disclose it and showed up at the debate anyway." On Wednesday, Trump went to suburban Minneapolis for a private fundraiser at the home of Marty Davis, CEO of kitchen counter-top manufacturer Cambria . Thirteen members of
6612-509: The country, overseen by Brett Giroir , recognizing that the shortages were a serious threat to the country. Pete Gaynor , the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was involved and stated that the task force had directed FEMA to shift in March "from playing a supporting role in assisting the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, which was designated as the initial lead federal agency for
6726-788: The debate and on the flight to Minnesota. Claudia Conway, the daughter of Kellyanne Conway, announced on October 4 that she had tested positive as well. Also on October 4, Attorney General Barr reversed his previous stance and announced he would be entering quarantine. On October 5, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had also tested positive. Two other White House press room staffers, Chad Gilmartin and Karoline Leavitt , were also reported to have tested positive on October 5. On October 6, new announced infections included: assistant press secretary Jalen Drummond, presidential military aide Jayna McCarron, and an unidentified military aide. On October 7, 2020, Bloomberg News cited four people who reported that head of
6840-460: The debate between September 26 and September 29 in the Map Room of the White House. His debate preparation team included Chris Christie, Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani , Jason Miller , Mark Meadows , Jared Kushner , Kayleigh McEnany , Alyssa Farah , and Stephen Miller. Christie stated that no masks were worn. Five of the 10 debate prep team members tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within
6954-438: The diagnosis had actually been made, since it had been publicly announced only 36 hours previously. A 72-hour timeline would suggest that Trump actually knew he had the infection on September 30, but proceeded with his plans for a public rally that evening and a fundraiser on October 1. Conley later clarified that he had meant "day three" instead of "72 hours", referring to the then-current time of Saturday morning compared to
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#17330923041567068-416: The diagnosis time of Thursday night (about 36 hours). Doctors also revealed that he had exhibited symptoms on October 1, including a "mild cough, and some nasal congestion and fatigue". When Conley was asked if Trump was on steroids , Conley ended the briefing. Minutes after the press conference, an anonymous source – later identified as Meadows – contradicted the assessment from
7182-418: The differences between what was then called 2019-nCoV and the virus from the 2003 SARS outbreak were insufficient to make them separate viral species . Therefore, they identified 2019-nCoV as a virus of Severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus . In July 2020, scientists reported that a more infectious SARS‑CoV‑2 variant with spike protein variant G614 has replaced D614 as the dominant form in
7296-571: The disclosure of the initial diagnoses of White House staffers. According to public health experts such as Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force , the outbreak could have been prevented. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , Donald Trump and William Barr discouraged officials and staff from wearing masks . Those in
7410-480: The doctors, saying "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", adding "We're still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery." Shortly thereafter, Meadows stated on the record the president was "doing very well". That night, Conley warned that Trump was "not yet out of the woods" with regard to his condition. The White House released two photos which showed Trump working at
7524-494: The drive-by as "insanity" for "political theater" and wrote that Trump had endangered the Secret Service agents in the presidential SUV by potentially exposing them to COVID-19. Within the Secret Service, some agents expressed outrage or frustration with Trump's behavior. One anonymous agent told journalists, "He's not even pretending to care now." Joseph Petro , a former veteran Secret Service agent and senior official, wrote in
7638-480: The event in Lackawanna, masks were mostly used but social distancing was not. Both communities experienced surges of COVID-19 in the wake of the rallies. Over Labor Day Weekend (Sept 5–7), Crede Bailey, the head of the White House security office, became sick with COVID-19. He was hospitalized sometime in September, becoming gravely ill. The White House kept his condition secret and declined to comment when his condition
7752-457: The exception of the two presidential candidates and debate moderator Chris Wallace . Masking was enforced at the door, but several of Trump's guests in the audience, including his wife Melania, his family members, and senior staff, removed their masks after entering the hall . When Trump's guests were personally offered masks by Cleveland Clinic staff, they declined. All attendees were supposed to be tested for coronavirus before admission. After
7866-404: The existing "no-sail" directive until February 2021, but the task force agreed with the cruise ship industry's recommendation that the prohibition end on October 31, 2020. Two unnamed federal health officials told The New York Times that on October 9 the task force rejected a proposed CDC order requiring passengers and employees to wear masks on all forms of public and commercial transportation in
7980-640: The first human infection occurred in November or December 2019. Examination of the topology of the phylogenetic tree at the start of the pandemic also found high similarities between human isolates. As of 21 August 2021, 3,422 SARS‑CoV‑2 genomes, belonging to 19 strains, sampled on all continents except Antarctica were publicly available. On 11 February 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses announced that according to existing rules that compute hierarchical relationships among coronaviruses based on five conserved sequences of nucleic acids,
8094-543: The first infection, but the mechanisms that could account for this are not known. No natural reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 has been identified. Prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 as a pathogen infecting humans, there had been two previous zoonosis -based coronavirus epidemics, those caused by SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV . The first known infections from SARS‑CoV‑2 were discovered in Wuhan, China. The original source of viral transmission to humans remains unclear, as does whether
8208-512: The first lady had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that night. The afternoon of the same day, the White House announced that Trump would be hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland "for the next few days" "out of an abundance of caution", on the recommendation of the medical team headed by Sean Conley , a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who had been
8322-407: The hospital, according to their captions. White House reporter Andrew Feinberg noted that in one of the photos the president was signing documents that appeared to be blank. In an October 4 press conference, Trump's medical team said that he was "doing really well" after his oxygen level dipped the day before and after he was given the steroid dexamethasone , which works by reducing inflammation in
8436-529: The idea of him leaving the hospital feigning frailty, but would then rip open his dress shirt to reveal a Superman T-shirt underneath, as reported by The New York Times . After reportedly pressuring his doctors to release him, he was discharged and arrived at the White House shortly before 7:00 p.m. He stood for a photo op at the South Portico balcony, where he removed his mask despite being potentially contagious. Having climbed two flights of stairs to
8550-448: The last several weeks. Three White House press room journalists , including Michael D. Shear, also tested positive on October 2, as did a White House staffer who works with the press. On October 9, Representative Mike Bost was announced to have tested positive and developed symptoms after interacting with Sen. Mike Lee. Trump's personal attendant Nick Luna's positive test results were announced on October 3. Luna had been at
8664-643: The lungs. Asked if CT scans showed pneumonia or lung damage, Conley said, "There's some expected findings, but nothing of any major clinical concern." He declined to say what was found. When asked why he was reluctant to disclose that Trump had been given oxygen during the October 3 briefing, Conley stated that he did not want to "give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction" and "it came off that we're trying to hide something, which wasn't necessarily true." White House Director of Strategic Communications Alyssa Farah later stated that it
8778-612: The much larger clades . Several different clade nomenclatures have been proposed. Nextstrain divides the variants into five clades (19A, 19B, 20A, 20B, and 20C), while GISAID divides them into seven (L, O, V, S, G, GH, and GR). Several notable variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2020. The World Health Organization has currently declared five variants of concern , which are as follows: Other notable variants include 6 other WHO-designated variants under investigation and Cluster 5 , which emerged among mink in Denmark and resulted in
8892-614: The natural reservoir of the virus that caused the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak has resulted in the discovery of many SARS-like bat coronaviruses , most originating in horseshoe bats . The closest match by far, published in Nature (journal) in February 2022, were viruses BANAL-52 (96.8% resemblance to SARS‑CoV‑2), BANAL-103 and BANAL-236, collected in three different species of bats in Feuang , Laos. An earlier source published in February 2020 identified
9006-413: The nomination ceremony for Barrett. Later that day, Christie announced he was hospitalized after his condition worsened; Christie received an experimental antibody cocktail from Eli Lilly as well as remdesivir . Lee was filmed hugging other attendees while not wearing a mask. Five of the infected were seated in the front three rows at the event, in close contact with Republican senior officials. Christie
9120-524: The original SARS-CoV . Like the SARS-related coronavirus implicated in the 2003 SARS outbreak, SARS‑CoV‑2 is a member of the subgenus Sarbecovirus ( beta-CoV lineage B). Coronaviruses undergo frequent recombination. The mechanism of recombination in unsegmented RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 is generally by copy-choice replication, in which gene material switches from one RNA template molecule to another during replication. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA sequence
9234-509: The outbreak was public, Wallace revealed that Trump and his personnel arrived too late to be tested, and were instead admitted to the debate hall under "an honor system ". In the coming days, the White House repeatedly declined to say when Trump last tested negative, raising speculation that he may have gone untested or even tested positive prior to the debate. On October 6, the New York Times broke news that, despite public impressions to
9348-1807: The pandemic. Coronavirus genomes and subgenomes encode six open reading frames (ORFs). In October 2020, researchers discovered a possible overlapping gene named ORF3d , in the SARS‑CoV‑2 genome . It is unknown if the protein produced by ORF3d has any function, but it provokes a strong immune response. ORF3d has been identified before, in a variant of coronavirus that infects pangolins . A phylogenetic tree based on whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses is: ( Bat ) Rc-o319 , 81% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus cornutus , Iwate , Japan Bat SL-ZXC21 , 88% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus pusillus , Zhoushan , Zhejiang Bat SL-ZC45 , 88% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus pusillus , Zhoushan, Zhejiang Pangolin SARSr-CoV-GX, 85.3% to SARS-CoV-2, Manis javanica , smuggled from Southeast Asia Pangolin SARSr-CoV-GD, 90.1% to SARS-CoV-2, Manis javanica , smuggled from Southeast Asia Bat RshSTT182, 92.6% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus shameli , Steung Treng , Cambodia Bat RshSTT200, 92.6% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus shameli , Steung Treng, Cambodia (Bat) RacCS203 , 91.5% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus acuminatus , Chachoengsao , Thailand (Bat) RmYN02 , 93.3% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus malayanus , Mengla , Yunnan (Bat) RpYN06 , 94.4% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus pusillus , Xishuangbanna , Yunnan (Bat) RaTG13 , 96.1% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus affinis , Mojiang , Yunnan (Bat) BANAL-52 , 96.8% to SARS-CoV-2, Rhinolophus malayanus , Vientiane , Laos SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-1 , 79% to SARS-CoV-2 There are many thousands of variants of SARS-CoV-2, which can be grouped into
9462-500: The pandemic. Attendees who tested positive include two Secret Service agents, two staffers, the girlfriend of the President's eldest son, Kimberly Guilfoyle and politician Herman Cain . Cain died from the disease on July 30. Tulsa experienced a significant increase in cases after the rally. From August 17–20, Trump held rallies at Mankato, Minnesota and Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania . About 500 attended Mankato, and masks and social distancing were not used. Several hundred attended
9576-534: The press secretary still hold a briefing despite knowing she had come into contact with somebody who had just tested positive for coronavirus? She didn't even tell us. Didn't even tell reporters who were on the plane. Didn't disclose any of that." McEnany later said she did not learn about Hicks until later that day. Hicks' diagnosis was first reported by Jennifer Jacobs and Jordan Fabian of Bloomberg at 8:07 p.m. on October 1. At least five of Trump's closest associates cancelled their scheduled travel to
9690-411: The public during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States . On March 16, the White House began holding the task force press briefings daily, often two hours long, but by late April the White House discussed reducing the frequency of these briefings. On April 25, there was no press briefing, and at that time no further press briefings had been scheduled. On May 5, Pence said that the administration
9804-587: The residence staff had tested positive that week. On September 17, Trump held a rally at an airport in Mosinee, Wisconsin ; Thousands attended, few masks were worn and social distancing was not observed. The county experienced a surge in COVID-19. Trump held a rally in Bemidji, Minnesota on September 18. Thousand attended in violation of the Minnesota ban on gatherings of more than 250, few attendees wore face masks, and there
9918-570: The role of pangolins as an intermediate host was initially posited (a study published in July 2020 suggested that pangolins are an intermediate host of SARS‑CoV‑2-like coronaviruses ), subsequent studies have not substantiated their contribution to the spillover. Evidence against this hypothesis includes the fact that pangolin virus samples are too distant to SARS-CoV-2: isolates obtained from pangolins seized in Guangdong were only 92% identical in sequence to
10032-454: The source of a majority of infections. That may explain how out of 217 on board a cruise liner that docked at Montevideo , only 24 of 128 who tested positive for viral RNA showed symptoms. Similarly, a study of ninety-four patients hospitalized in January and February 2020 estimated patients began shedding virus two to three days before symptoms appear and that "a substantial proportion of transmission probably occurred before first symptoms in
10146-555: The source. For a virus recently acquired through a cross-species transmission, rapid evolution is expected. The mutation rate estimated from early cases of SARS-CoV-2 was of 6.54 × 10 per site per year. Coronaviruses in general have high genetic plasticity , but SARS-CoV-2's viral evolution is slowed by the RNA proofreading capability of its replication machinery. For comparison, the viral mutation rate in vivo of SARS-CoV-2 has been found to be lower than that of influenza. Research into
10260-493: The virus RaTG13 , collected in bats in Mojiang , Yunnan, China to be the closest to SARS‑CoV‑2, with 96.1% resemblance. None of the above are its direct ancestor. Bats are considered the most likely natural reservoir of SARS‑CoV‑2. Differences between the bat coronavirus and SARS‑CoV‑2 suggest that humans may have been infected via an intermediate host; although the source of introduction into humans remains unknown. Although
10374-541: The virus became pathogenic before or after the spillover event . Because many of the early infectees were workers at the Huanan Seafood Market , it has been suggested that the virus might have originated from the market. However, other research indicates that visitors may have introduced the virus to the market, which then facilitated rapid expansion of the infections. A March 2021 WHO-convened report stated that human spillover via an intermediate animal host
10488-478: The virus is infectious during the incubation period is uncertain, but research has indicated that the pharynx reaches peak viral load approximately four days after infection or in the first week of symptoms and declines thereafter. The duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding is generally between 3 and 46 days after symptom onset. A study by a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina found that
10602-587: The virus may be airborne as well, with aerosols potentially being able to transmit the virus. During human-to-human transmission, between 200 and 800 infectious SARS‑CoV‑2 virions are thought to initiate a new infection. If confirmed, aerosol transmission has biosafety implications because a major concern associated with the risk of working with emerging viruses in the laboratory is the generation of aerosols from various laboratory activities which are not immediately recognizable and may affect other scientific personnel. Indirect contact via contaminated surfaces
10716-422: The virus. Another case study described a 25-year-old man from Nevada who tested positive for SARS‑CoV‑2 on 18 April 2020 and on 5 June 2020 (separated by two negative tests). Since genomic analyses showed significant genetic differences between the SARS‑CoV‑2 variant sampled on those two dates, the case study authors determined this was a reinfection. The man's second infection was symptomatically more severe than
10830-544: The virus. The White House resisted efforts to engage in contact tracing , leaving it unclear how many people were infected in total and what the origins of the spread were. Many of the infections appeared to be related to a ceremony held on September 26 in the Rose Garden for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court , where seating was not socially distanced and participants were mostly unmasked. His chief of staff recalled that Trump looked "a little tired" and
10944-404: Was "a common medical practice that you want to convey confidence, and you want to raise the spirits of the person you're treating," while also asserting that Meadows' anonymous statement to reporters was intended to "give you guys more information just to try to be as transparent as we can," effectively conceding Conley was addressing the president on television, rather than the public. The president
11058-605: Was announced that a staffer for Vice President Mike Pence had tested positive and was experiencing very mild symptoms, though neither Trump nor Pence had been in close contact with the staffer. On May 7, an unnamed personal valet to the president tested positive, and the following day, Pence spokesperson Katie Miller tested positive for COVID-19. Miller's positive test result caused several other Pence staffers who were in close contact with her to be removed from Air Force Two before Pence's trip to Iowa , but neither Trump nor Pence had been in recent close contact with Miller. In June,
11172-401: Was announced that one attendee, Harry R. Jackson Jr. , had died; no cause of death was given. The White House did not do contact tracing to minimize the spread of the outbreak, limiting any effort to notify those who have been exposed to Trump. The Centers for Disease Control made several offers to assist the White House with contact tracing, but they were repeatedly declined. On October 6,
11286-414: Was confirmed on 20 January 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic . Transmission was initially assumed to occur primarily via respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes within a range of about 1.8 metres (6 ft). Laser light scattering experiments suggest that speaking is an additional mode of transmission and a far-reaching one, indoors, with little air flow. Other studies have suggested that
11400-452: Was discharged on 15 April 2020 after two negative tests, and tested positive again on 15 August 2020 (142 days later), which was confirmed by whole-genome sequencing showing that the viral genomes between the episodes belong to different clades . The findings had the implications that herd immunity may not eliminate the virus if reinfection is not an uncommon occurrence and that vaccines may not be able to provide lifelong protection against
11514-538: Was discussing "what the proper time is for the task force to complete its work"; the next day, Trump said that the task force would "continue on indefinitely" but would refocus on returning the nation to normal activity. As the US entered a new phase of re-opening businesses and getting back to work, Pence named five new members to the task force on May 15, 2020. The task force gave a press briefing on May 15, and on May 22, Birx appeared with press secretary Kayleigh McEnany . For
11628-487: Was immediately provided in response to a " compassionate use " request from the medical team. That night, Trump received his first infusion of remdesivir, an antiviral drug that disrupts virus replication. Remdesivir has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration , but has been used as an emergency treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The extremely aggressive combination was described as "uncharted territory"; Trump
11742-620: Was named the response coordinator. The task force was succeeded by the White House COVID-19 Response Team under the Biden administration . The first known case in the United States of COVID-19 was confirmed in the state of Washington on January 20, 2020, in a 35-year-old man who had returned from Wuhan , China on January 15. The White House Coronavirus Task Force was established on January 29, with Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar as its chair. On January 30,
11856-404: Was no social distancing. 16 cases were linked to the rally, including two who were hospitalized. The county saw a spike of COVID-19 after the rally. On September 24, Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump held an event at a Minneapolis hotel. Three attendees would later test positive. Trump met Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel , McEnany, and others at a September 25 fundraiser at
11970-417: Was placed in quarantine aboard Air Force One while returning with Trump from a campaign event in Minnesota . Following that, the president proceeded on schedule to an October 1 New Jersey fundraiser where he mingled, unmasked, with donors. More infections were reported in late October among Vice President Mike Pence 's staff, and a second large outbreak occurred after Election Day , after Trump held
12084-526: Was released from the Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey on October 10. Jenkins later issued a statement saying: "I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden." Infectious disease physician Robert L. Murphy said that if the infections are traced to the Rose Garden ceremony, they may have been started by
12198-447: Was reported as "gravely ill," having fallen sick in September prior to the Rose Garden event. The Rose Garden cluster emerged in the final weeks of Trump's campaign for the 2020 presidential election , a little more than a month before the last day of voting, November 3. Commentators were critical of the White House for providing conflicting information about Trump's condition and the timeline of his infection, as well as delaying
12312-461: Was reported in the news on October 7. On September 13, Trump held a 5,000 person rally in Henderson, Nevada , violating of the state's ban on gatherings larger than 50 people and resulting in a fine. One case was later traced to "a political rally". On September 16, it was reported that at least one unnamed staffer had tested positive. After Trump's hospitalization, it was revealed that two members of
12426-524: Was reported to be angry about Meadows' off-the-record assessment. Later in the day, Trump briefly departed the hospital to ride past a gathering of supporters at the medical center, waving from the back seat of an SUV , before returning. Medical experts stated that the short outing endangered the Secret Service agents accompanying Trump inside the vehicle due to his infection. James Phillips, doctor of emergency medicine at George Washington University and an attending physician at Walter Reed, sharply criticized
12540-490: Was suggested that the acquisition of the furin-cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 S protein was essential for zoonotic transfer to humans. The furin protease recognizes the canonical peptide sequence R X[ R / K ] R ↓X where the cleavage site is indicated by a down arrow and X is any amino acid . In SARS-CoV-2 the recognition site is formed by the incorporated 12 codon nucleotide sequence CCT CGG CGG GCA which corresponds to
12654-518: Was suspected of having a "slight cold". Hours after the ceremony, Trump tested positive for COVID-19, although the public would not learn of this result until one year later, in October 2021. Trump himself may have been infectious at that point, but he and his entourage attended several subsequent events unmasked, including the first presidential debate against Joe Biden in Cleveland , Ohio on September 29. The next day, Presidential Counselor Hope Hicks
12768-525: Was the most likely explanation, with direct spillover from bats next most likely. Introduction through the food supply chain and the Huanan Seafood Market was considered another possible, but less likely, explanation. An analysis in November 2021, however, said that the earliest-known case had been misidentified and that the preponderance of early cases linked to the Huanan Market argued for it being
12882-502: Was the source of the infection, given that Trump was "the only person [about whom] I didn't know his testing regimen." Christie complained that neither Trump nor White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had revealed the president's positive test result before or during the debate preparations. Prior to the debate, both the Biden and Trump campaigns agreed with the Commission on Presidential Debates that all attendees would be masked, with
12996-534: Was waiting to get results of a PCR test when he did a live phone interview on Hannity . Sean Hannity of Fox News brought up Bloomberg's report about Hicks and asked for an update, whereupon Trump publicly mentioned Hicks' diagnosis for the first time, saying, "I just heard about this. She tested positive." Trump stated, "It is very, very hard when you are with people from the military , or from law enforcement , and they come over to you, and they want to hug you, and they want to kiss you because we really have done
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