President Donald Trump is no longer contagious , nine days after being stopped in his tracks by COVID-19, his physician said in a statement released late on Saturday.
“I am happy to report that in addition to the President meeting CDC criteria for the safe discontinuation of isolation, this morning’s COVID PCR sample demonstrates, by currently recognised standards, he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others,” Sean Conley said in the statement
Dr. Conley, who has been accused of a lack of transparency with the public, said it had been 10 days since Mr. Trump first began showing symptoms of the coronavirus.
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Tests showed there was “no longer evidence of actively replicating virus,” and that Mr. Trump’s viral load was “decreasing,” Dr. Conley continued — though he did not state that the President is now virus-free.
Dr. Conley said Mr. Trump is fever-free and symptoms have “improved,” adding that he would continue to monitor the President as he “returns to an active schedule.”
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Also read: Donald Trump may not be out of the woods but can go home, says Conley
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump on Sunday declared himself immune from COVID-19 as he prepares to return to the campaign trail in a fight to regain ground against surging rival Joe Biden.
“It looks like I’m immune for, I don’t know, maybe a long time and maybe a short time, it could be a lifetime, nobody really knows, but I’m immune,” Mr. Trump said in a Fox News interview.
“You have a President who is immune... so now you have a president who doesn’t have to hide in a basement like his opponent,” he added — in a jab at the Democrat Biden and his far more cautious approach to campaigning in a pandemic.
Also read: Donald Trump says next days of COVID-19 treatment will be 'real test'
It is not yet clear to what degree contracting COVID-19 confers immunity from future infection, with early studies suggesting a few months while newer ones have indicated it could last longer.
‘Biden is coughing’
During his phone interview on Fox News, Mr. Trump went on to suggest that his White House rival could himself be sick.
“If you look at Joe, he was coughing yesterday horribly and grabbing his mask, as he’s coughing,” Mr. Trump said. “And I don’t know what that was all about, and it didn’t get much press.”