Trump and Melania test positive test positive for Covid 19

[Skeptic Ginger]

Are they small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, which is what's being suggested? The whole allegation seems weird to me. Even if he was using oxygen, he could surely walk a few steps across the lawn without it, and grab a machine again on the helicopter.

That's a big jacket pocket.

Could be he was really short of breath.

Not saying this portable O2 is a fact, just that it's feasible.

 

[Dr.Sid]

Btw. there are small oxygen supply containers used in sports or for high-altitude climbing. They have low capacity but you don't need much as it's just supplements the natural oxygen level, and is not needed for long time. They use cans similar to hair sprays, usually with mouthpiece directly on top of it, but pipe and extra mask can be added to some too.
Just google for "oxygen supplement".
There are certainly ways to have useful amount of oxygen in your pocket.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

We should never forget that if Trump pulls through, it's only because he had instant access to the best health care in the world. Few people are hospitalized immediately after being diagnosed, and just about nobody has access to unapproved experimental treatments. I hope the Trumpers compare his care with what they would get if they got sick.

And that's not going to play in Trump's favor.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

The White House says Trump's doctor misspoke when he earlier said that the president was "72 hours" into his illness.

A White House official told reporters that Dr Sean Conley had meant to say that Trump was on "Day 3" of the infection, counting from Thursday evening.

Seventy-two hours would place the president's diagnosis on Wednesday morning before he travelled to Minnesota.

The White House also said that another member of Trump's medical team had meant to say that it was "Day 2" and not 48 hours since the experimental drug Regeneron was administered to Trump.

Social embed from twitter

Damage control. It's hard to lie about the timeline when all that won't fit into the timeline.

 

[Checkmite]

That's a big jacket pocket.

I could go either way about the alleged tubing coming out of his jacket collar, but there was undeniably something heavy and moderately bulky in his suit jacket pocket.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I'm curious... why was this particular event so egregious? They've had gatherings like that before. Maybe it's a particularly virulent strain of the virus?

Yes and no. There is some evidence of a more infectious strain. But there's nothing unusual about a superspreader(s) event.

 

[Myriad]

I'm curious... why was this particular event so egregious? They've had gatherings like that before. Maybe it's a particularly virulent strain of the virus?

Covid-19 doesn't just spontaneously appear because some people get close together. The virus has to be present. Maybe they've simply been lucky that no one sufficiently infectious got into any of the previous gatherings.

As far as I can tell, we don't yet know who Republican Zero was.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Nope. It is not like this strain is "particularly virulent". This event has unusually high scrutiny level (contact tracing etc), so we know exactly who, when, where. That gives illusion of scaaary unusual virulency.

Good point, especially the "unusually high scrutiny". This thing was right out in the open and under a microscope.

 

[dann]

Seen from abroad:

Donald Trumps presidentkampanj har kollapsat, med presidenten inlagd på sjukhus och centrala rådgivare i karantän. Läkare på Walter Reed försäkrar att presidenten mår bra. Samtidigt spreds uppgifter som tyder på raka motsatsen.
Trumps kampanj har kollapsat (DagensNyheter.se, Oct. 3, 2020)

Donald Trump's presidential campaign has collapsed with the president hospitalized and central advisers quarantined. Doctors at Walter Reed assure us that the president is well. At the same time, information is being spread that indicates the exact opposite.
Trump's campaign has collapsed

 

[Checkmite]

The White House says Trump's doctor misspoke when he earlier said that the president was "72 hours" into his illness.

A White House official told reporters that Dr Sean Conley had meant to say that Trump was on "Day 3" of the infection, counting from Thursday evening.

Thursday evening? It was early Friday morning that he first tweeted he was being tested as a precaution after Hope Hicks tested positive. So they're saying that he was lying, that he'd not only already tested positive when he tweeted that, but had already been on an experimental treatment since the previous evening?

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

It's still an unusual event to have that many people packed that close together for a long time. We have also been told many times that everybody entering the White House must pass a rapid covid test. So presumably all those people making each other sick had actually just tested negative for covid.

Trump was absolutely convinced you couldn't catch it outside. McEnany repeated it when she said Trump was cleared to go to the event because it was outside.

 

[dann]

As far as I can tell, we don't yet know who Republican Zero Antifa Zero was.

FTFY.

 

[Bob001]

The sickening thought I keep coming back to is that if we were still in the pre-covid economy -- strong stock market, low unemployment -- Trump would likely be coasting to victory despite all the other reasons to vote against him.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Either this test is worthless due to very high chance of false negative, or someone is... less than scrupulous... with application of those tests. Or both.

On other hand, only one overlooked asymptomatic spreader could be enough.

This came up before the last time people close to Trump were diagnosed with COVID. The rapid tests have a high false negative rate.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Covid-19 doesn't just spontaneously appear because some people get close together. The virus has to be present. Maybe they've simply been lucky that no one sufficiently infectious got into any of the previous gatherings.

As far as I can tell, we don't yet know who Republican Zero was.

They have just been lucky, relying on an unreliable test, believing being outdoors made you safe, and especially denying the risk and denying masks were needed.

It was only a matter of time. I have to say, an Oct surprise was a right fine time.

 

[dann]

This isn’t “he’s bad, but he’s still just a person” territory. Trump and the garbage that follow him are proto-fascist scum. Any death of a trump supporter is a good thing

Not as good as a Trump supporter coming to his senses and realizing that he's been had.

 

[jimbob]

Nope. It is not like this strain is "particularly virulent". This event has unusually high scrutiny level (contact tracing etc), so we know exactly who, when, where. That gives illusion of scaaary unusual virulency.

The national prevalence is also still *fairly* low, so you need an infected person in the right circle.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Imagine the reaction and conspiracy theories if Trump ends up not making it!

 

[pgwenthold]

Either this test is worthless due to very high chance of false negative, or someone is... less than scrupulous... with application of those tests. Or both.

On other hand, only one overlooked asymptomatic spreader could be enough.

Note that Trump's doctor said there was a asymptotic spreader

 

[uke2se]

Not as good as a Trump supporter coming to his senses and realizing that he's been had.

I've come to realize that the con goes both ways. Trump isn't just using his supporters. They are using him. Most of them want fascism.