Ignoring the warnings about the risks of contagion, Donald Trump staged his return to the Oval Office on Wednesday October 7, six days after testing positive for Covid-19. “I think it was actually a gift from heaven that I caught it”, launched the American president, almost euphoric, standing in front of the most famous office in the world, in an unbridled video posted on Twitter.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! https://t.co/uhLIcknAjT
Asked a few minutes later about these words, his Democratic opponent Joe Biden was indignant: “I think it’s a tragedy that the president talks about Covid as if it’s something not to be worried about when more than 210,000 Americans have died. “
Wearing his iconic red tie, Donald Trump attributed his state of health to the synthetic antibodies – an experimental treatment – which were administered to him. And promised, without going into details, that this treatment would be quickly available ” free “. “I want everyone to have the same treatment as your president, because I feel good, I feel perfectly good!” “, he hammered.
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” Do not be afraid “
The behavior of the American president, under fire of criticism for long months for his management of the pandemic, is scrutinized with particular attention at a time when cases of coronavirus in the White House – employees, advisers, journalists – are increasing.
According to a senior US official, Mr. Trump was present with a number “Extremely limited” of advisers in the famous office. He entered through the door leading to the gardens, to avoid going through the corridors of the west wing of the building. “I have just been briefed on Hurricane Delta”, he tweeted, anxious to show America that he is at work, twenty-seven days before an election promises to be very difficult for him against Joe Biden.
When he returned to the White House on Monday evening after leaving the hospital, Mr. Trump had already sparked controversy. Immediately after getting off the helicopter, he climbed the steps to the balcony of his residence. There he had removed his mask and raised his thumbs, in a strange gesture of defiance. “Don’t be afraid of the Covid”, he had tweeted a few hours earlier from the hospital, causing consternation in the medical community.
On average, over the past week, 700 people have died from the coronavirus every day in this country.
“China’s fault”
Remarkably, the tenant of Maison Banche admitted for the first time that a vaccine, which he has repeatedly announced as imminent, would probably not be available before the November 3 poll.
“I think we should have it before the election, but if they play political games, it doesn’t matter (…), it will be right after the election, he said, before once again denouncing Beijing’s attitude. It’s China’s fault, China will pay a high price for what they have done to this country (…), for what they have done to the world. “
For the time being, according to the White House doctor, his state of health is a little more reassuring every day. “He has not had a fever for over four days and no symptoms for over 24 hours”Dr Sean Conley said in a brief report.
However, the letter began with an unusual formula, further reinforcing the questions about the strange communication of the medical team on this file: “The president this morning said: “I feel good !” “
Antibodies detected
Doctor Conley said that the latest analyzes from samples taken on Monday had detected traces of antibodies to Covid-19 which were undetectable Thursday evening, when he tested positive.
For virologist Florian Krammer of Icahn School of Medicine in New York, these results are not necessarily very meaningful at this point. “It is quite possible that the majority of the antibodies detected come from the transfusion”, he explained to AFP.
Donald Trump was treated with an experimental treatment against Covid-19, synthetic antibodies developed by the Regeneron laboratory. Injected into a patient’s body, synthetic antibodies can melt into the virus to neutralize it just as the immune system is supposed to.
For Professor Michael Buchmeier, professor at the University of California, the presence of these antibodies at this stage could also mean that the infection “Has been present in the patient for longer than what has been announced”.
White House medics claim Donald Trump first tested positive on Thursday 1er October. But they still stubbornly refused to say when his previous test was.
