buzzfeed--2020-10-06--The CDC Finally Acknowledged That The Coronavirus Can Spread Through Air

Officials at the CDC said Monday that the coronavirus can spread via particles in the air , a long-delayed acknowledgment of what is increasingly seen as a key form of virus transmission .
On Monday , a new section added to a CDC webpage called `` How COVID-19 Spreads '' stated that `` COVID-19 can sometimes be spread by airborne transmission . ''
The update stated that infections can occur as a result of viruses present in small droplets suspended in the air for minutes to hours .
`` These viruses may be able to infect people who are further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is infected or after that person has left the space , '' the agency 's guidance says .
The addition comes less than two weeks after a similar guidance was posted and then abruptly removed from the website , raising concerns of possible political interference .
In response to the incident , the CDC 's webpage was updated to say that `` a draft version of proposed changes to these recommendations was posted in error . ''
The new guidance comes months after scientists began pushing the world 's top health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus could be spread via small particles in the air .
In July , the World Health Organization issued a scientific finding that indicated that airborne transmission was possible , suggesting the virus could spread in large crowds and indoors in poorly ventilated buildings .
The CDC 's new guideline follows similar lines , citing documented instances of transmission in `` poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing , like singing or exercise . ''
Scientists welcomed Monday 's long-awaited update from the CDC .
Jose-Luis Jimenez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Colorado at Boulder , told BuzzFeed News that it was `` a move in the right direction . ''
The bottom line is that `` we can get infected if we breathe someone else ’ s exhaled air , '' he said .
`` We have to think that everyone we cross that ’ s not in our bubble , they 're exhaling smoke , like a smoker .
How we reduce contagion is breathing as little of that 'smoke ' as possible . ''
Jimenez added that he found some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reference to `` small droplets '' and `` particles , '' whereas he said that the more precise scientific term would be `` aerosols . ''
He also thought that the agency 's description of airborne transmission `` sometimes '' happening likely understated its frequency .
The CDC 's change comes as a large cluster of COVID-19 cases spreads in the White House , tied to large , unmasked outdoor gatherings and indoor events .
Scientists have also expressed concerns that such guidance did not come earlier due to political interference .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House forced the CDC to remove guidelines suggesting that the virus could spread via choirs and music ensembles in religious gatherings .
The White House has also interfered with other CDC guidance , most notably on the ability of the virus to spread from children .
The new CDC guidance indicates that close contact with a person who has been infected is still believed to be the primary route of infection .

Officials at the CDC said Monday that the coronavirus can spread via particles in the air, a long-delayed acknowledgment of what is increasingly seen as a key form of virus transmission.
On Monday, a new section added to a CDC webpage called "How COVID-19 Spreads" stated that "COVID-19 can sometimes be spread by airborne transmission."
The update stated that infections can occur as a result of viruses present in small droplets suspended in the air for minutes to hours. "These viruses may be able to infect people who are further than 6 feet away from the person who is infected or after that person has left the space," the agency's guidance says.
The addition comes less than two weeks after a similar guidance was posted and then abruptly removed from the website, raising concerns of possible political interference. In response to the incident, the CDC's webpage was updated to say that "a draft version of proposed changes to these recommendations was posted in error."
The new guidance comes months after scientists began pushing the world's top health officials to acknowledge the growing consensus that the virus could be spread via small particles in the air. In July, the World Health Organization issued a scientific finding that indicated that airborne transmission was possible, suggesting the virus could spread in large crowds and indoors in poorly ventilated buildings.
The CDC's new guideline follows similar lines, citing documented instances of transmission in "poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise."
Scientists welcomed Monday's long-awaited update from the CDC. Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told BuzzFeed News that it was "a move in the right direction."
The bottom line is that "we can get infected if we breathe someone else’s exhaled air," he said. "We have to think that everyone we cross that’s not in our bubble, they're exhaling smoke, like a smoker. How we reduce contagion is breathing as little of that 'smoke' as possible."
Jimenez added that he found some of the language confusing: The CDC makes reference to "small droplets" and "particles," whereas he said that the more precise scientific term would be "aerosols." He also thought that the agency's description of airborne transmission "sometimes" happening likely understated its frequency.
The CDC's change comes as a large cluster of COVID-19 cases spreads in the White House, tied to large, unmasked outdoor gatherings and indoor events.
Scientists have also expressed concerns that such guidance did not come earlier due to political interference. In May, the Washington Post reported that the White House forced the CDC to remove guidelines suggesting that the virus could spread via choirs and music ensembles in religious gatherings. The White House has also interfered with other CDC guidance, most notably on the ability of the virus to spread from children.
The new CDC guidance indicates that close contact with a person who has been infected is still believed to be the primary route of infection.


buzzfeed--2020-10-05--Congress Is Close To Ending Anonymous Shell Companies

Sens .
Mike Crapo ( left ) and Sherrod Brown ( right ) during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Banking , Housing , and Urban Affairs in 2019 .
For over a decade , there have been calls in Congress to address shadowy corporate entities , known as shell companies , that are considered a cornerstone of fraud , corruption , and money laundering .
These companies help unsavory characters and organizations hide wealth or use the proceeds of crime to buy up legitimate assets ranging from a condo to an entire building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the easiest jurisdictions in the world for setting them up .
Startlingly , these entities can require less disclosure than getting a library card .
Now , legislation that would force disclosure of who owns a company registered in the US has once again advanced in Congress .
Its fate is uncertain , but interested parties agree this is the strongest chance yet for reforms to pass .
The final push comes as BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists , in the FinCEN Files investigation , have exposed the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US economy and how shell companies help foster that flow .
`` I do n't think people think about it .
Not enough of my colleagues do , ” said Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown .
“ It 's bigger all the time , there 's more money swashing around all the time in all kinds of nefarious ways .
Organized crime , elections , everything . ''
Senate Banking Committee chair Mike Crapo and Brown , the ranking member , coauthored legislation that would force limited liability companies every year to reveal their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controls the company , owns at least 25 % of it , or receives economic benefit from the company ’ s assets .
Such disclosures would make it harder to run these companies anonymously , removing one of the reasons these companies are employed for moving money around the globe .
Ownership information would be shared with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , or FinCEN , an agency within the Department of Treasury that combats money laundering , terrorist financing , and other financial crimes .
Crapo ’ s legislation would also require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ availability of true beneficial ownership information for other legal entities .
Companies with over 20 employees and at least $ 5 million in annual sales , as well as a physical presence in the United States , would be exempt under the assumption they ’ re legitimate businesses rather than shell companies .
The legislation also would take steps to improve how banks communicate with FinCEN , require federal regulators to undergo training in detecting money laundering , and establish a new FinCEN whistleblower program .
Linda Lacewell , superintendent of the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in Law360 that the reports filed to the federal government by banks about suspicious financial activity are “ frequently riddled with the names of anonymous shell companies that make it practically impossible to determine the identity of the perpetrator.
” In that essay , prompted by the FinCEN Files investigation , she also wrote : “ Therefore as a first step , we must all move to require disclosure of beneficial owners of corporations and limited liability companies in financial transactions.
” Banks , law enforcement , human rights groups , labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the coalition supporting the legislation .
Even the US Chamber of Commerce is on board .
But there is one influential force pushing back : small business .
“ The difficulty is , in order to do the reporting that we need to get past the shell companies , it requires all of our legitimate , honest businesses to disclose lots of information and do significant reporting , ” said Crapo , the Senate Banking Committee chair .
The National Federation of Independent Business , the largest and most influential small business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charge to block the legislation .
“ We just don ’ t believe it is worth criminalizing a new paperwork burden .
It ’ s a scary thing for small business owners who don ’ t have the time , resources or bandwidth , ” said Kevin Kuhlman , the group ’ s vice president of federal government relations .
Kuhlman argues the legislation would inflict small businesses with burdensome reporting obligations under threat of fines or jail time .
The House legislation , authored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney , outlines fines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to three years in prison for the owners of companies that provide false information or refuse to comply .
Kuhlman also raised the possibility of hackers accessing the FinCEN data .
For most legislation in Washington it ’ s obvious in advance whether it will pass or not .
But this is a rare case where the legislation is close to the finish line and no one knows what will happen .
To get a bill like this through Congress , you typically need support from the “ four corners ” — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee .
The bill has support from only three .
Political aides and outside stakeholders say Rep. Patrick McHenry , the ranking Republican on the House side , is the main force of opposition .
With him opposed , passage of the bill is in jeopardy .
“ I think it is probably 50/50 , ” Kuhlman said of the bill ’ s chances .
The conclusion will not come down to a dramatic vote on the floor of Congress ; rather , it likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Proponents want to include the legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act , a must-pass bill that funds the military .
The Democrat-controlled House included it in its version of the NDAA .
Crapo and Brown proposed their legislation , which is almost identical to the House version , as an amendment to the Senate ’ s NDAA , but it was not adopted .
Crapo said he believes there is enough bipartisan support in the Senate to pass the legislation .
The problem , he said , was that so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NDAA that Senate leadership ended up cutting almost all of them out — including the money laundering provisions — so as not to sink the overall bill .
“ It was not wanting to kill the overall NDAA by having it amended to death , ” said Crapo .
“ There ’ s a dozen controversial amendments , and if you let one amendment go then the floodgates open.
” But with the House including money laundering provisions in its version , Crapo said that gives congressional negotiators an opening to include some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to pass both chambers .
The House and Senate have already begun those negotiations .
The next several weeks will be critical , with dueling industries lobbying for their interests .
Banks are lobbying for Crapo ’ s legislation because they say they need help thwarting money laundering .
They are required to report clients ’ questionable transactions by filing suspicious activity reports , or SARs , to FinCEN , and the industry sees this as an onerous and expensive burden .
The Banking Policy Institute , whose members include both domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US , said these financial institutions employ 14,000 people dedicated to compliance .
A BPI survey from 2017 found member banks reviewed 16 million alerts and filed 640,000 SARs .
But they reported that only 4 % of SARs received follow-up inquiries from law enforcement .
Banks also filed 5.2 million currency transaction reports , which law enforcement followed up less than half of one percent of the time , according to BPI .
Forcing companies to disclose their true beneficial ownership was first proposed in Congress back in 2008 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ since then .
Earlier proposals would have forced companies to disclose their ownership publicly , but both the House and Senate versions of the bill would only require disclosure to FinCEN .
The politically powerful Koch family previously opposed the legislation and had lobbied Congress to make changes .
In response , the Senate version was massaged to expand exemptions for nonprofit organizations , which are used as part of the Kochs ’ political operations .
The Kochs have now dropped their objections to the legislation , according to congressional aides with knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bipartisan cooperation doesn ’ t come around every day , ” said BPI head of government affairs Mike Lee , “ and represents years of stakeholder negotiations and scrutiny .
”

For over a decade, there have been calls in Congress to address shadowy corporate entities, known as shell companies, that are considered a cornerstone of fraud, corruption, and money laundering.
These companies help unsavory characters and organizations hide wealth or use the proceeds of crime to buy up legitimate assets ranging from a condo to an entire building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and the US is one of the easiest jurisdictions in the world for setting them up. Startlingly, these entities can require less disclosure than getting a library card.
Now, legislation that would force disclosure of who owns a company registered in the US has once again advanced in Congress. Its fate is uncertain, but interested parties agree this is the strongest chance yet for reforms to pass.
The final push comes as BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, in the FinCEN Files investigation, have exposed the vast amounts of dirty money washing through the US economy and how shell companies help foster that flow.
"I don't think people think about it. Not enough of my colleagues do,” said Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. “It's bigger all the time, there's more money swashing around all the time in all kinds of nefarious ways. Organized crime, elections, everything."
Senate Banking Committee chair Mike Crapo and Brown, the ranking member, coauthored legislation that would force limited liability companies every year to reveal their true beneficial ownership — the person who controls the company, owns at least 25% of it, or receives economic benefit from the company’s assets. Such disclosures would make it harder to run these companies anonymously, removing one of the reasons these companies are employed for moving money around the globe.
Ownership information would be shared with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, an agency within the Department of Treasury that combats money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes. Crapo’s legislation would also require the Government Accountability Office to study the availability of true beneficial ownership information for other legal entities.
Companies with over 20 employees and at least $5 million in annual sales, as well as a physical presence in the United States, would be exempt under the assumption they’re legitimate businesses rather than shell companies. The legislation also would take steps to improve how banks communicate with FinCEN, require federal regulators to undergo training in detecting money laundering, and establish a new FinCEN whistleblower program.
Linda Lacewell, superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, recently wrote in Law360 that the reports filed to the federal government by banks about suspicious financial activity are “frequently riddled with the names of anonymous shell companies that make it practically impossible to determine the identity of the perpetrator.”
In that essay, prompted by the FinCEN Files investigation, she also wrote: “Therefore as a first step, we must all move to require disclosure of beneficial owners of corporations and limited liability companies in financial transactions.”
Banks, law enforcement, human rights groups, labor unions, and state attorneys general are among the coalition supporting the legislation. Even the US Chamber of Commerce is on board.
But there is one influential force pushing back: small business.
“The difficulty is, in order to do the reporting that we need to get past the shell companies, it requires all of our legitimate, honest businesses to disclose lots of information and do significant reporting,” said Crapo, the Senate Banking Committee chair.
The National Federation of Independent Business, the largest and most influential small business group in the country, is leading the charge to block the legislation. “We just don’t believe it is worth criminalizing a new paperwork burden. It’s a scary thing for small business owners who don’t have the time, resources or bandwidth,” said Kevin Kuhlman, the group’s vice president of federal government relations.
Kuhlman argues the legislation would inflict small businesses with burdensome reporting obligations under threat of fines or jail time. The House legislation, authored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, outlines fines of up to $10,000 and up to three years in prison for the owners of companies that provide false information or refuse to comply. Kuhlman also raised the possibility of hackers accessing the FinCEN data.
For most legislation in Washington it’s obvious in advance whether it will pass or not. But this is a rare case where the legislation is close to the finish line and no one knows what will happen.
To get a bill like this through Congress, you typically need support from the “four corners” — the top Republican and Democrat on both the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. The bill has support from only three.
Political aides and outside stakeholders say Rep. Patrick McHenry, the ranking Republican on the House side, is the main force of opposition. With him opposed, passage of the bill is in jeopardy. “I think it is probably 50/50,” Kuhlman said of the bill’s chances.
The conclusion will not come down to a dramatic vote on the floor of Congress; rather, it likely will be worked out in closed-door negotiations. Proponents want to include the legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass bill that funds the military. The Democrat-controlled House included it in its version of the NDAA.
Crapo and Brown proposed their legislation, which is almost identical to the House version, as an amendment to the Senate’s NDAA, but it was not adopted.
Crapo said he believes there is enough bipartisan support in the Senate to pass the legislation. The problem, he said, was that so many senators were proposing controversial add-ons to the NDAA that Senate leadership ended up cutting almost all of them out — including the money laundering provisions — so as not to sink the overall bill.
“It was not wanting to kill the overall NDAA by having it amended to death,” said Crapo. “There’s a dozen controversial amendments, and if you let one amendment go then the floodgates open.”
But with the House including money laundering provisions in its version, Crapo said that gives congressional negotiators an opening to include some version in the final bill that will have to pass both chambers. The House and Senate have already begun those negotiations. The next several weeks will be critical, with dueling industries lobbying for their interests.
Banks are lobbying for Crapo’s legislation because they say they need help thwarting money laundering.
They are required to report clients’ questionable transactions by filing suspicious activity reports, or SARs, to FinCEN, and the industry sees this as an onerous and expensive burden. The Banking Policy Institute, whose members include both domestic banks and large foreign banks doing business in the US, said these financial institutions employ 14,000 people dedicated to compliance.
A BPI survey from 2017 found member banks reviewed 16 million alerts and filed 640,000 SARs. But they reported that only 4% of SARs received follow-up inquiries from law enforcement. Banks also filed 5.2 million currency transaction reports, which law enforcement followed up less than half of one percent of the time, according to BPI.
Forcing companies to disclose their true beneficial ownership was first proposed in Congress back in 2008. It’s gone through different versions since then. Earlier proposals would have forced companies to disclose their ownership publicly, but both the House and Senate versions of the bill would only require disclosure to FinCEN.
The politically powerful Koch family previously opposed the legislation and had lobbied Congress to make changes. In response, the Senate version was massaged to expand exemptions for nonprofit organizations, which are used as part of the Kochs’ political operations. The Kochs have now dropped their objections to the legislation, according to congressional aides with knowledge of the talks.
“This type of bipartisan cooperation doesn’t come around every day,” said BPI head of government affairs Mike Lee, “and represents years of stakeholder negotiations and scrutiny.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-05--Don't Fall For This Viral Conspiracy Claiming Trump Carried A Hidden Oxygen Tank On The Way To The H

Don't Fall For This Viral Conspiracy Claiming Trump Carried A Hidden Oxygen Tank On The Way To The Hospital

In the wake of news about President Donald Trump being diagnosed with the coronavirus , falsehoods and conspiracies began spreading widely .
One of those conspiracies was fueled by a viral tweet falsely claiming that Trump was using a hidden oxygen tank as he boarded Marine One , the helicopter that took him to Walter Reed hospital , on Friday .
The tweet was posted the night before a baffling Saturday morning press conference with the president 's doctors that added to the confusion over his condition .
It showed a series of low-resolution images and what looked like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's head .
The person who posted it claimed that creases in the president 's suit prove he was carrying a hidden oxygen tank .
The conspiracy traveled far .
Aside from getting 14,000 retweets and 28,000 likes overnight , people also reposted it to Facebook , Instagram , and TikTok .
The account that posted the tweet has since been suspended .
Other images of Trump walking to the helicopter do n't support the false narrative .
A photo taken from the same angle shows no tubes or other oxygen tank equipment @ @ @ @ @ @

In the wake of news about President Donald Trump being diagnosed with the coronavirus, falsehoods and conspiracies began spreading widely.
One of those conspiracies was fueled by a viral tweet falsely claiming that Trump was using a hidden oxygen tank as he boarded Marine One, the helicopter that took him to Walter Reed hospital, on Friday.
The tweet was posted the night before a baffling Saturday morning press conference with the president's doctors that added to the confusion over his condition. It showed a series of low-resolution images and what looked like a manipulated photo of the back of Trump's head. The person who posted it claimed that creases in the president's suit prove he was carrying a hidden oxygen tank.
The conspiracy traveled far. Aside from getting 14,000 retweets and 28,000 likes overnight, people also reposted it to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The account that posted the tweet has since been suspended.
Other images of Trump walking to the helicopter don't support the false narrative. A photo taken from the same angle shows no tubes or other oxygen tank equipment on the president's person.


buzzfeed--2020-10-05--Conspiracy Theories Are Everywhere About Trump’s COVID-19 Diagnosis. He Helped Make Them Happen.

A day and a half after the president tested positive for COVID-19 , the conspiracy theories and disinformation around his condition are rampant , driven in part by his own administration ’ s mixed messages and evasiveness about the specifics of how sick he actually is .
On Saturday morning , the doctors treating him at Walter Reed Medical Center refused to answer specific , straightforward questions at a press conference about Trump ’ s condition , like how high his fever had been , and whether he has been on oxygen since testing positive for the virus .
Minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the president ’ s health ” told White House reporters the president ’ s vitals had been “ very concerning ” and “ the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.
” “ We ’ re still not on a clear path to a full recovery , ” the source said , adding confusion to the lack of clarity about the president ’ s condition .
Online , conspiracy theorists on both the left and the right speculated that Trump had either been much sicker than we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all but rather using a fake diagnosis as part of an elaborate power play .
As the US faces a moment of great uncertainty — what happens if the president is incapacitated by COVID-19 ?
Can we rely on the negative test results of the leaders who are in line to step in ?
— that chaos is being amplified by the maelstrom of conspiracy theories and distrust that Trump himself has helped create .
The crisis comes in the wake of four years of Trump spreading disinformation about everything from immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question anything Trump says , and some on the right question anything the media says .
The White House ’ s total lack of precision isn ’ t helping .
During the press conference , the doctors also said that they were “ 72 hours ” into Trump ’ s diagnosis and that he had been administered an experimental antibody treatment “ 48 hours ago.
” Shortly after the conference , the White House released a statement from the president ’ s doctor Sean Conley saying that he ’ d misspoken and meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s diagnosis on Thursday and not 72 hours , which would have pushed the president ’ s diagnosis back to Wednesday — when he traveled to Minnesota for a campaign event .
The statement from Conley also said he ’ d misspoken about the 48-hour period after he had been given the experimental antibodies — another doctor had mentioned the 48-hour period during the conference rather than Conley .
The multiple confounding and inaccurate statements from the White House led to further doubt about the state of the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had COVID-19 , conspiracy theories about why he would potentially halt his presidential campaign and go into quarantine were already swirling around the internet .
“ Just learned that [ Trump advisor ] Hope Hicks tested positive for Covid , ” the actor Bette Midler tweeted out around midnight to 2 million followers .
“ Timing ’ s so interesting .
I guess Trump ’ s quarantining will mean no rallies , and no more debates .
Convenient .
It ’ s awful to always think the worst , but after four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be helped .
No trust left.
” The tweet has been retweeted more than 4,400 times and has been liked over 31,000 times .
“ The reason why we ’ re seeing conspiracies and just doubt come from folks both on the left and the right have a lot to do with all of the misinformation related to coronavirus that ’ s happened over the past few months , particularly ideas that the president has advanced himself , ” Joan Donovan , the research director of Harvard University ’ s Shorenstein Center on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one of leading researchers on media manipulation and disinformation , told BuzzFeed News .
Middler wasn ’ t the only person that was skeptical of the president ’ s announcement — the doubt that quickly formed from hundreds of other people in the replies and quote tweets of Middler ’ s tweet and more broadly across the internet paint a picture of a country that has widely embraced conspiracy theories in the lead up to the election and as the pandemic spread across the country .
Even before the confusing press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradictory statement about the president ’ s health from a White House source on Saturday , the conspiracy theories flourished .
One photo widely circulating on Twitter highlighted innocuous bumps in the president ’ s suit and stray hairs on his head to suggest that he was wearing “ a portable oxygen concentrator in his pocket with the nasal cannula going up his back , ” as one person tweeted , while he walked to Marine One to be helicoptered to the hospital on Friday .
A June survey from Pew Research Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard of a conspiracy theory that the pandemic had been planned by powerful people — of the 71 % who ’ d heard of the conspiracy theory , 36 % said that they “ definitely ” or “ probably ” believed that it was true .
Just surveying the replies to Middler ’ s conspiracy theory show how widespread this kind of thinking has been this week .
“ Same thought here , how can we trust any statement from Trump .
‘ The boy who cried wolf 20,000 times too often ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to Middler .
“ I hate to be so cynical but I don ’ t believe it ’ s true .
Could be a political stunt to show how he pulls thru it with no symptoms to prove how 'safe ' it is to get it .
Also gets him out of the next debate without having to do it himself , ” another tweeted .
Michael Moore , a progressive filmmaker and former surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ presidential campaign , posted similar conspiracies in a lengthy Facebook post that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he called the president a liar and asked readers why they would believe him now .
“ We must be skeptical .
We must always remain skeptical when it comes to Trump .
He may have it .
But it ’ s also possible he ’ s lying .
That ’ s just a fact , ” Moore warned his followers .
“ HE MAY USE THIS TO PUSH FOR DELAYING/POSTPONING THE ELECTION , ” Moore wrote later in the post .
“ The constitution does not allow for this , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constitution .
He and his thug Attorney General Barr have no shame and will stop at nothing to stay in power.
” The uncertainty of what happens next for the US after Trump ’ s diagnosis is fueling the misinformation and conspiracy theories , said Mike Rothschild , an expert in debunking conspiracy theories .
“ It ’ s very destabilizing .
We 're at a moment in our country where we have absolutely no idea what happens next .
Trump could be completely fine .
He could be asymptomatic and recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could die .
Or be on a ventilator and incapable of making decisions .
There are a lot of ways this could go really bad , '' Rothschild said .
Especially with a void of clear , reliable information about hugely consequential events , people are more inclined to believe unlikely schemes and plots are afoot , Rothschild said .
“ And when you have an event like this , a world-shaking event that does n't have a predetermined outcome , people fill in the knowledge gaps with conspiracy theories … that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The potential national security crisis that could come out of this situation could be exacerbated by the spread of left-wing conspiracies , Donovan said .
“ On the left , there ’ s a lot of dangerous speculation going on suggesting that this is an advantage that the president may get over Biden if he emerges and survives having had coronavirus , ” she said .
She warned that the news could also offer opportunities for foreign governments to meddle in the election by amplifying public outrage .
Conspiracy theories aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ resistance ” Twitter where factions of voters who detest the president discuss the election and the president ’ s actions — they ’ re spreading on far-right corners of the internet too , including among believers of QAnon , a collective delusion that alleges President Donald Trump is fighting a Satanist cabal of elites who abuse children .
In some of those spaces , conspiracies about Biden and racist notions that China is responsible for the coronavirus ( that the president has also pushed ) have melded into conspiracies that coronavirus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden campaign and China .
“ Could Trump catching COVID-19 technically be viewed as an assassination attempt on our president by the Chinese ?
” tweeted DeAnna Lorraine , a right-wing conspiracy theorist .
“ If we don ’ t deal with this now , it ’ s not that we ’ re going to see a war break out with China , ” Donovan said .
“ But we ’ re going to see hate crimes against people who are Chinese , Chinese Americans , and Asian people in general because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear and misunderstanding that ’ s been created for some people in the United States about coronavirus.
” One entirely unfounded QAnon theory is that Trump would at some point be whisked away to a secure location while mass arrests of Democratic politicians ensue .
After the president announced his positive test with the tweet “ Tonight , @ FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19 .
We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately .
We will get through this TOGETHER !
” , QAnon believers online dissected his wording to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in fact sending a message that “ WE WILL ALL GET THROUGH THIS TO GET HER , ” as one believer tweeted , “ her ” being Hillary Clinton .
“ QAnon tells this very compelling story , and it 's a story that its believers really want to be real and have invested an enormous amount of time and effort in being real , ” said Rothschild .
“ They ’ re digital soldiers , they are fighting not just a political party that they have disagreements with but the literal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long history of engaging in conspiracy theories since well before he was president .
That was especially clear with his aggressive promotion of the false conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not actually born in the United States .
“ He was n't a politician until he started embracing conspiracy theories , ” Rothschild said .
He said it ’ s not surprising Trump is handling the situation in a way that doesn ’ t directly dispel the uncertainty about what ’ s really happening .
“ These are his people , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipe , he ’ s not going to denounce it .
He 's going to do everything he can to throw red meat to those people because those are his people , ” he added .
Donovan added that the embrace of conspiracies that popped up in the hours after Trump announced his diagnosis is just a part of larger problems that the country is going to have to face in the months after the election .
“ Trump has set up a situation where there ’ s going to be some doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Donovan said .
“ This new development really exacerbates an already intense situation .
”

A day and a half after the president tested positive for COVID-19, the conspiracy theories and disinformation around his condition are rampant, driven in part by his own administration’s mixed messages and evasiveness about the specifics of how sick he actually is.
On Saturday morning, the doctors treating him at Walter Reed Medical Center refused to answer specific, straightforward questions at a press conference about Trump’s condition, like how high his fever had been, and whether he has been on oxygen since testing positive for the virus. Minutes later, an unnamed person “familiar with the president’s health” told White House reporters the president’s vitals had been “very concerning” and “the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.”
“We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the source said, adding confusion to the lack of clarity about the president’s condition.
Online, conspiracy theorists on both the left and the right speculated that Trump had either been much sicker than we’d been told — or not sick at all but rather using a fake diagnosis as part of an elaborate power play.
As the US faces a moment of great uncertainty — what happens if the president is incapacitated by COVID-19? Can we rely on the negative test results of the leaders who are in line to step in? — that chaos is being amplified by the maelstrom of conspiracy theories and distrust that Trump himself has helped create.
The crisis comes in the wake of four years of Trump spreading disinformation about everything from immigration to windmills. Some on the left question anything Trump says, and some on the right question anything the media says.
The White House’s total lack of precision isn’t helping. During the press conference, the doctors also said that they were “72 hours” into Trump’s diagnosis and that he had been administered an experimental antibody treatment “48 hours ago.” Shortly after the conference, the White House released a statement from the president’s doctor Sean Conley saying that he’d misspoken and meant that it was day three after the president’s diagnosis on Thursday and not 72 hours, which would have pushed the president’s diagnosis back to Wednesday — when he traveled to Minnesota for a campaign event. The statement from Conley also said he’d misspoken about the 48-hour period after he had been given the experimental antibodies — another doctor had mentioned the 48-hour period during the conference rather than Conley. The multiple confounding and inaccurate statements from the White House led to further doubt about the state of the president’s health.
Even before Trump confirmed he had COVID-19, conspiracy theories about why he would potentially halt his presidential campaign and go into quarantine were already swirling around the internet.
“Just learned that [Trump advisor] Hope Hicks tested positive for Covid,” the actor Bette Midler tweeted out around midnight to 2 million followers. “Timing’s so interesting. I guess Trump’s quarantining will mean no rallies, and no more debates. Convenient. It’s awful to always think the worst, but after four years of relentless lying? Can’t be helped. No trust left.”
The tweet has been retweeted more than 4,400 times and has been liked over 31,000 times.
“The reason why we’re seeing conspiracies and just doubt come from folks both on the left and the right have a lot to do with all of the misinformation related to coronavirus that’s happened over the past few months, particularly ideas that the president has advanced himself,” Joan Donovan, the research director of Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy and one of leading researchers on media manipulation and disinformation, told BuzzFeed News.
Middler wasn’t the only person that was skeptical of the president’s announcement — the doubt that quickly formed from hundreds of other people in the replies and quote tweets of Middler’s tweet and more broadly across the internet paint a picture of a country that has widely embraced conspiracy theories in the lead up to the election and as the pandemic spread across the country.
Even before the confusing press conference from Trump’s doctors and the contradictory statement about the president’s health from a White House source on Saturday, the conspiracy theories flourished.
One photo widely circulating on Twitter highlighted innocuous bumps in the president’s suit and stray hairs on his head to suggest that he was wearing “a portable oxygen concentrator in his pocket with the nasal cannula going up his back,” as one person tweeted, while he walked to Marine One to be helicoptered to the hospital on Friday.
A June survey from Pew Research Center found that 71% of Americans had heard of a conspiracy theory that the pandemic had been planned by powerful people — of the 71% who’d heard of the conspiracy theory, 36% said that they “definitely” or “probably” believed that it was true.
Just surveying the replies to Middler’s conspiracy theory show how widespread this kind of thinking has been this week.
“Same thought here, how can we trust any statement from Trump. ‘The boy who cried wolf 20,000 times too often....” one Twitter user said in response to Middler.
“I hate to be so cynical but I don’t believe it’s true. Could be a political stunt to show how he pulls thru it with no symptoms to prove how 'safe' it is to get it. Also gets him out of the next debate without having to do it himself,” another tweeted.
Michael Moore, a progressive filmmaker and former surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, posted similar conspiracies in a lengthy Facebook post that he then linked on Twitter, where he called the president a liar and asked readers why they would believe him now.
“We must be skeptical. We must always remain skeptical when it comes to Trump. He may have it. But it’s also possible he’s lying. That’s just a fact,” Moore warned his followers.
“HE MAY USE THIS TO PUSH FOR DELAYING/POSTPONING THE ELECTION,” Moore wrote later in the post. “The constitution does not allow for this, but he doesn’t give a f*ck about the constitution. He and his thug Attorney General Barr have no shame and will stop at nothing to stay in power.”
The uncertainty of what happens next for the US after Trump’s diagnosis is fueling the misinformation and conspiracy theories, said Mike Rothschild, an expert in debunking conspiracy theories.
“It’s very destabilizing. We're at a moment in our country where we have absolutely no idea what happens next. Trump could be completely fine. He could be asymptomatic and recover well and be completely fine. Or he could die. Or be on a ventilator and incapable of making decisions. There are a lot of ways this could go really bad," Rothschild said.
Especially with a void of clear, reliable information about hugely consequential events, people are more inclined to believe unlikely schemes and plots are afoot, Rothschild said.
“And when you have an event like this, a world-shaking event that doesn't have a predetermined outcome, people fill in the knowledge gaps with conspiracy theories … that's why JFK conspiracy theories persist.”
The potential national security crisis that could come out of this situation could be exacerbated by the spread of left-wing conspiracies, Donovan said.
“On the left, there’s a lot of dangerous speculation going on suggesting that this is an advantage that the president may get over Biden if he emerges and survives having had coronavirus,” she said. She warned that the news could also offer opportunities for foreign governments to meddle in the election by amplifying public outrage.
Conspiracy theories aren’t just popping up in the realms of “resistance” Twitter where factions of voters who detest the president discuss the election and the president’s actions — they’re spreading on far-right corners of the internet too, including among believers of QAnon, a collective delusion that alleges President Donald Trump is fighting a Satanist cabal of elites who abuse children.
In some of those spaces, conspiracies about Biden and racist notions that China is responsible for the coronavirus (that the president has also pushed) have melded into conspiracies that coronavirus is an attempt to bring Trump down by the Biden campaign and China.
“Could Trump catching COVID-19 technically be viewed as an assassination attempt on our president by the Chinese?” tweeted DeAnna Lorraine, a right-wing conspiracy theorist.
“If we don’t deal with this now, it’s not that we’re going to see a war break out with China,” Donovan said. “But we’re going to see hate crimes against people who are Chinese, Chinese Americans, and Asian people in general because there’s such a culture of fear and misunderstanding that’s been created for some people in the United States about coronavirus.”
One entirely unfounded QAnon theory is that Trump would at some point be whisked away to a secure location while mass arrests of Democratic politicians ensue.
After the president announced his positive test with the tweet “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”, QAnon believers online dissected his wording to come up with the theory that he was in fact sending a message that “WE WILL ALL GET THROUGH THIS TO GET HER,” as one believer tweeted, “her” being Hillary Clinton.
“QAnon tells this very compelling story, and it's a story that its believers really want to be real and have invested an enormous amount of time and effort in being real,” said Rothschild. “They’re digital soldiers, they are fighting not just a political party that they have disagreements with but the literal forces of Satan.”
Trump has a long history of engaging in conspiracy theories since well before he was president. That was especially clear with his aggressive promotion of the false conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not actually born in the United States.
“He wasn't a politician until he started embracing conspiracy theories,” Rothschild said.
He said it’s not surprising Trump is handling the situation in a way that doesn’t directly dispel the uncertainty about what’s really happening.
“These are his people, so when something like QAnon comes down the pipe, he’s not going to denounce it. He's going to do everything he can to throw red meat to those people because those are his people,” he added.
Donovan added that the embrace of conspiracies that popped up in the hours after Trump announced his diagnosis is just a part of larger problems that the country is going to have to face in the months after the election.
“Trump has set up a situation where there’s going to be some doubt about the veracity of the election results,” Donovan said. “This new development really exacerbates an already intense situation.”
Jane Lytvynenko contributed reporting to this story.


buzzfeed--2020-10-05--White House Officials Flouted Coronavirus Guidance At Their Supreme Court Celebration. It Was Likely

White House Officials Flouted Coronavirus Guidance At Their Supreme Court Celebration. It Was Likely A Superspreader Event.

“ I hope this serves as an important reminder that the virus doesn ’ t discriminate , that you can catch it whoever you are , and it ’ s a risk and it ’ s real , ” one expert said of the White House cluster .
The White House gathering on Sept. 26 to introduce Amy Coney Barrett as President Donald Trump ’ s nominee to serve on the Supreme Court has emerged as a likely superspreader event in the growing cluster of COVID-19 cases surrounding the president .
So far , the majority of the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garden gathering and associated events , including individuals whose schedules would otherwise not obviously have brought them together .
And the timing of their reported positive tests fits with the date of the event .
It was also surrounded by other meetings with key Republicans to discuss the coming confirmation hearings .
Trump ’ s wife , Melania , former New Jersey governor Chris Christie , who had prepped Trump for Tuesday ’ s debate , Kellyanne Conway , the former counselor to Trump who left the White House in late August , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sens .
Mike Lee and Thom Tillis , members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will consider Barrett ’ s nomination , and Rev .
John I. Jenkins , president of Notre Dame University , where she is a law professor .
( Barrett herself was reportedly infected with the coronavirus earlier this year and tested negative on Friday . )
Far from shifting the narrative away from the president ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis , as his supporters would have hoped , the event has turned into an emblem of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice of holding largely maskless gatherings without social distancing .
“ I find this to be one of the single most appalling things that has happened in the past few months , ” Kate Grabowski , an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University , said of the spectacle of repeated Trump rallies and other gatherings with few precautions to reduce viral transmission .
“ I hope this serves as an important reminder that the virus doesn ’ t discriminate , that you can catch it whoever you are , and it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photos and videos from the Supreme Court nomination event show attendees mingling and hugging .
While Barrett was formally introduced , more than 150 people sat packed together in rows of chairs on the White House Rose Garden lawn , with very few wearing masks .
The Rose Garden event was accompanied by indoor gatherings where the risk of viral transmission is especially high .
Before Barrett was introduced , Trump and at least eight others , including his wife , Christie , Lee , and Tillis , reportedly met with her inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a series of indoor receptions , the Washington Post reported .
Experts told BuzzFeed News that it may not be possible to uncover the exact chain of viral transmission within Trump ’ s circle — nor to determine how the president himself became infected .
“ There ’ s a ton of unknowns and it ’ s hard to figure out , ” said Carl Bergstrom , a theoretical biologist at the University of Washington in Seattle .
But research has shown that some people are particularly likely to transmit the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ published on Sept. 17 , for instance , estimated that 19 % of the people infected were responsible for 80 % of local viral transmission .
It only takes one of these “ superspreaders ” at an event like Barrett ’ s nomination to seed a series of cases .
“ One of the critical things to keep in mind here is that a lot of people are going to events with a lot of other people who may have the coronavirus , ” Grabowski said .
“ This is part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large gatherings in the middle of a pandemic.
” Those who attended the Sept. 26 White House gathering were tested beforehand .
The White House seems to rely on a rapid testing device developed by Abbott Laboratories that can deliver results within 15 minutes .
But there ’ s a problem with using the Abbott test for screening in this way : It has only been authorized for use on patients showing symptoms and is thought to deliver a high number of false negatives .
In one study published in July of tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Langone Hospitals ER , it gave negative results in up to 45 % of cases in which a rival test produced a positive result .
As more cases emerge , contact tracers will be racing to test all those who attended the Barrett event , encouraging them to self-isolate , and identifying their social contacts .
“ For people at the Rose Garden , I would want to see them tested and minimizing their contacts with other people in the interim , ” Bergstrom said .
On Saturday , the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit in conjunction with , in collaboration with CDC and local state and health departments , are conducting all contact tracing per CDC guidelines.
” Those in close proximity to the president and his entourage throughout this time include members of the White House press corps , three of whom have so far tested positive for the coronavirus .

Far from shifting the narrative away from the president’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, as his supporters would have hoped, the event has turned into an emblem of the dangers posed by Trump’s practice of holding largely maskless gatherings without social distancing.
“I find this to be one of the single most appalling things that has happened in the past few months,” Kate Grabowski, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, said of the spectacle of repeated Trump rallies and other gatherings with few precautions to reduce viral transmission. “I hope this serves as an important reminder that the virus doesn’t discriminate, that you can catch it whoever you are, and it’s a risk and it’s real.”
Photos and videos from the Supreme Court nomination event show attendees mingling and hugging. While Barrett was formally introduced, more than 150 people sat packed together in rows of chairs on the White House Rose Garden lawn, with very few wearing masks.
The Rose Garden event was accompanied by indoor gatherings where the risk of viral transmission is especially high. Before Barrett was introduced, Trump and at least eight others, including his wife, Christie, Lee, and Tillis, reportedly met with her inside the White House. The celebrations included a series of indoor receptions, the Washington Post reported.
Experts told BuzzFeed News that it may not be possible to uncover the exact chain of viral transmission within Trump’s circle — nor to determine how the president himself became infected. “There’s a ton of unknowns and it’s hard to figure out,” said Carl Bergstrom, a theoretical biologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.


buzzfeed--2020-10-06--Trump's Doctor Dodged Questions About The President's Coronavirus Diagnosis

Dr. Sean Conley 's answers and statements to reporters were unclear about whether the president has ever needed oxygen to combat COVID-19 .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s doctor was evasive on major details of the president ’ s illness , including the timeline of his treatments , in a short and highly anticipated press conference Saturday morning .
And just moments after the press conference ended , an unnamed source told reporters entirely contradicting information : that the president 's health has been `` very concerning , '' the opposite of the upbeat report Trump 's doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters that the president is not currently on oxygen , but would not say definitively that he has not needed supplemental oxygen since he began being treated for COVID-19 .
The New York Times later reported , and multiple outlets confirmed , that Trump was given supplemental oxygen on Friday at the White House after his oxygen level dropped .
Conley also said the president is “ 72 hours into the diagnosis , ” and his team said Trump had received an experimental antibody cocktail `` 48 hours ago '' — changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from late Thursday , when Trump announced his test , to Wednesday .
A little more than an hour after the press conference , Conley released a new memo to the media saying he misspoke and that Trump was first diagnosed Thursday night and received the antibody cocktail on Friday .
Throughout , Conley insisted Trump was recovering well .
“ Thursday he had a mild cough and some nasal congestion and fatigue , all of which are now improving , ” he told reporters .
The president ’ s physician would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any lung damage so far .
Minutes after Conley had finished speaking , the White House press pool sent a report with much more troubling views , sourced to someone `` familiar with the president ’ s health . ''
“ 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 , '' that person said .
`` We ’ re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.
” The White House pool report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House at many media organizations , did not specify the source .
But after Conley 's press conference , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was captured on video gathering reporters present to speak privately , off the record .
This matters beyond the detailed rules of journalism : There 's a White House official , who asked not to be named , speaking privately moments after the president 's own physician held a widely viewed and unclear press conference .
Hours later , the Associated Press and the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rosy remarks to Meadows .
Meadows then gave a statement on the record to Reuters saying Trump is doing “ very well ” and that “ doctors are pleased with his vital signs.
” Later Saturday night , Trump tweeted a four-minute video address from Walter Reed , where he spoke about his condition in a clearly hoarse voice , and in a rare appearance without a tie .
`` I came here , was n't feeling so well .
I feel much better now , '' Trump said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the way back , I have to be back because we still have to make America great again . ''
He said he was `` starting to feel good , '' but would `` be seeing what happens over the next couple of days . ''
He added that he had the `` choice '' to stay in the White House , but decided not to in order to be `` out front '' and `` not locked up in a room upstairs . ''
He is currently in Walter Reed hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be leaving .
`` We 're going to beat this coronavirus , or whatever you want to call it , and we 're going to beat it soundly , '' he said .
Trump 's stance that he is improving substantially within 24 hours conflicts with what doctors have said about how COVID-19 courses through patients — it 's often not a linear progression , there are some days where a person may feel fine followed by days where a person may feel seriously ill. And it 's the week after an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treacherous .
`` The main thing to realize about this is that this is week one of his illness — week two is the worst , '' said Cedric Dark , an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine .
He added that the second week of COVID-19 infection is when the body 's own inflammatory response to the virus can lead to severely injured lungs .
`` That 's when oxygenation tends to dip significantly . ''
`` Everyone 's talking about what happened the last two , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two , three days .
I 'd watch him like a hawk the next week , '' Dark said .
Conley had told reporters Trump had been fever-free for over 24 hours , but would not say what his fever had previously been .
“ Thursday no oxygen , none at this moment , and yesterday with the team while we were all here he was not on oxygen , ” Conley said when pressed , never ruling out the hours between the time the president announced his diagnosis and Conley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 4 p.m. on Friday .
Conley was one of 10 people on the president ’ s medical team at the event , including several pulmonary doctors and an anesthesia specialist .
Dr. Sean Dooley said Trump told doctors Saturday morning , “ I feel like I could walk out of here today , ” and that the president was not struggling to breathe .
`` I ’ m old enough to remember the press briefings from Dennis O'Leary when President Reagan was shot .
They were models of clarity and transparency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ And let ’ s just say this one did not meet that standard , '' said Bob Wachter , chair of the department of medicine at the University of California , San Francisco .
Conley 's `` job is to give clear credible accurate information .
We got misdirection , we got confusion , we got evasiveness , '' Wachter added .
`` This was sort of a first pass to see whether we ’ re going to be able to believe what the White House puts out about Trump 's condition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this thinking they ’ re going to put out propaganda rather than truth . ''
Dark noted that Trump 's reported oxygen saturation , 96 % , was below normal but not at a level that would currently require supplemental oxygen .
But both Dark and Wachter said being given supplemental oxygen at some point is not unusual .
`` The decision to provide supplemental oxygen is sometimes like putting a blanket on somebody — it ’ s harmless and it ’ s cheap , '' Wachter said .
He noted that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's oxygen saturation had dipped considerably at any point .
The president tweeted early Friday morning that he and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus .
That was the last the president was heard from for many hours : By mid-afternoon , the Trump campaign announced all events involving the president would be postponed or moved to virtual .
Soon after , the White House released a memo from Sean P. Conley , the president ’ s physician , on his course of treatment , which included an 8-gram dose of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vitamin D , famotidine , melatonin , and a daily aspirin .
Trump was helicoptered to Walter Reed Hospital early Friday evening per Conley ’ s recommendation , according to the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
She said the president would be working from there for “ the next few days.
” Before walking to the helicopter without speaking to reporters , Trump recorded a brief video that was posted to Twitter .
Later Friday night , the White House issued another physician ’ s memo to say the president was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in need of supplemental oxygen .
Just before midnight , Trump tweeted a short and uncertain update : There is still no cure for COVID-19 , and the FDA has not given its standard approval to any drugs to treat the illness .
Trump ’ s treatment course includes a very new and experimental antibody treatment made by the company Regeneron , in combination with a more established , but still unproven , antiviral drug , remdesivir , which he received when he was moved to Walter Reed Hospital .
Asked about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatments so early in the course of his illness , Conley said , “ We 're maximizing all aspects of his care , attacking this virus , you know , multi-prong approach.
” The Regeneron experimental antibody treatment is a combination of two lab-made antibodies .
Early data has shown that it could be effective in reducing the amount of virus present when given early on in an infection .
But the biotech firm did not release full data — only releasing early data via a press release four days ago .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization , the president was given the treatment via a “ compassionate use ” exception for emergency cases .
Some scientists have criticized use of the experimental therapy on the president , saying that not enough data has been made public .
`` I personally do n't care what your viral load is — because I treat your clinical condition , '' said Dark , who noted that because only limited information was released via press release , clinicians could not know enough about the effects of using the drug .
`` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinical outcome — whether it prevents you from requiring oxygen , or needing to go to the ICU , or mortality reduction .
We do n't have that kind of information that I as a practicing clinician would want to say that this drug is better than doing nothing . ''
In contrast , the antiviral drug remdesivir is a more commonly used treatment that received emergency authorization in May , allowing for its use in hospitalized patients .
However , remdesivir has also not made it through a full FDA approval process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that conclusively show that it is safe and effective .
Early studies of remdesivir had mixed , but promising , results .
One trial of 1,063 patients suggested that the drug provided a benefit for people with moderate infection .
Compared to a placebo , use of the drug reduced hospital stays from 15 to 11 days , but did not have any measurable effect on the number of people who died .
Another small trial halted use of the drug after it led to significant side effects .
On Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is investigating a link to “ acute ” kidney damage in patients given the drug .
On Saturday morning , Conley said Trump ’ s kidney function was being closely monitored and so far was normal .
He stated that they planned to keep Trump on a full five-day course of the antiviral drug .
Asked when the president might be discharged , Conley refused to provide an answer , saying that the medical team was still concerned about the latter phase of Trump 's illness .
“ Well , I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on that .
He is doing so well , ” Conley said .
“ But with the known course of the illness , day seven to ten , we get really concerned about the inflammatory phase , phase two .
”

"I came here, wasn't feeling so well. I feel much better now," Trump said. "We're working hard to get me all the way back, I have to be back because we still have to make America great again." He said he was "starting to feel good," but would "be seeing what happens over the next couple of days." He added that he had the "choice" to stay in the White House, but decided not to in order to be "out front" and "not locked up in a room upstairs." He is currently in Walter Reed hospital, and it's unclear when he will be leaving.
"We're going to beat this coronavirus, or whatever you want to call it, and we're going to beat it soundly," he said.
Trump's stance that he is improving substantially within 24 hours conflicts with what doctors have said about how COVID-19 courses through patients — it's often not a linear progression, there are some days where a person may feel fine followed by days where a person may feel seriously ill. And it's the week after an initial diagnosis that can be far more treacherous.
"The main thing to realize about this is that this is week one of his illness — week two is the worst," said Cedric Dark, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He added that the second week of COVID-19 infection is when the body's own inflammatory response to the virus can lead to severely injured lungs. "That's when oxygenation tends to dip significantly."
"Everyone's talking about what happened the last two, three days. I wouldn't worry about the last two, three days. I'd watch him like a hawk the next week," Dark said.
Conley had told reporters Trump had been fever-free for over 24 hours, but would not say what his fever had previously been.
“Thursday no oxygen, none at this moment, and yesterday with the team while we were all here he was not on oxygen,” Conley said when pressed, never ruling out the hours between the time the president announced his diagnosis and Conley’s treatment update, which came at 4 p.m. on Friday.
Conley was one of 10 people on the president’s medical team at the event, including several pulmonary doctors and an anesthesia specialist. Dr. Sean Dooley said Trump told doctors Saturday morning, “I feel like I could walk out of here today,” and that the president was not struggling to breathe.
"I’m old enough to remember the press briefings from Dennis O'Leary when President Reagan was shot. They were models of clarity and transparency. The country found them truly reassuring. And let’s just say this one did not meet that standard," said Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Conley's "job is to give clear credible accurate information. We got misdirection, we got confusion, we got evasiveness," Wachter added. "This was sort of a first pass to see whether we’re going to be able to believe what the White House puts out about Trump's condition, and I’ve come out of this thinking they’re going to put out propaganda rather than truth."
Dark noted that Trump's reported oxygen saturation, 96%, was below normal but not at a level that would currently require supplemental oxygen. But both Dark and Wachter said being given supplemental oxygen at some point is not unusual. "The decision to provide supplemental oxygen is sometimes like putting a blanket on somebody — it’s harmless and it’s cheap," Wachter said. He noted that the bigger concern would be knowing if Trump's oxygen saturation had dipped considerably at any point.
The president tweeted early Friday morning that he and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus. That was the last the president was heard from for many hours: By mid-afternoon, the Trump campaign announced all events involving the president would be postponed or moved to virtual. Soon after, the White House released a memo from Sean P. Conley, the president’s physician, on his course of treatment, which included an 8-gram dose of an experimental antibody cocktail, zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin, and a daily aspirin.
Trump was helicoptered to Walter Reed Hospital early Friday evening per Conley’s recommendation, according to the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. She said the president would be working from there for “the next few days.” Before walking to the helicopter without speaking to reporters, Trump recorded a brief video that was posted to Twitter.
Later Friday night, the White House issued another physician’s memo to say the president was taking the drug remdesivir but was not in need of supplemental oxygen. Just before midnight, Trump tweeted a short and uncertain update:


buzzfeed--2020-10-05--Joe Biden Has Tested Negative For The Coronavirus

Joe Biden enters a hall to speak in New Alexandria , Pennsylvania , on September 30 .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 , his campaign announced Friday morning .
Biden was tested after news early Friday that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus and are in quarantine .
Biden was onstage for 90 minutes with Trump , neither of them wearing masks , during the first presidential debate on Tuesday night .
The coronavirus ’ s incubation period can be up to 14 days , and false negatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of infection .
Joe Biden ’ s wife , Jill Biden , also tested negative for the virus , after being in the audience for the debate while wearing a mask .
“ Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected , ” the campaign said in a statement from Dr. Kevin O ’ Connor .
“ I am reporting this out in my capacity as both Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden ’ s primary care physician.
” Biden tweeted @ @ @ @ @

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19, his campaign announced Friday morning.
Biden was tested after news early Friday that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus and are in quarantine. Biden was onstage for 90 minutes with Trump, neither of them wearing masks, during the first presidential debate on Tuesday night.
The coronavirus’s incubation period can be up to 14 days, and false negatives are particularly possible in the first few days of infection.
Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, also tested negative for the virus, after being in the audience for the debate while wearing a mask.
“Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected,” the campaign said in a statement from Dr. Kevin O’Connor. “I am reporting this out in my capacity as both Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden’s primary care physician.”
Biden tweeted the news soon after.


buzzfeed--2020-10-05--Here's A Running List Of False And Misleading Information About Trump's Coronavirus Diagnosis

One rumor suggested a Trump video was edited to cut out a cough , but six experts said they saw no definitive signs of manipulation .
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus , they announced early Friday morning .
In light of the diagnosis , false information , fake screenshots , and deceptively edited videos have been circulating online .
We 're keeping a running list .
Before passing on any online rumor to your friends and family , take the time to verify it .
This can be done by checking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , keeping a close eye on information from news outlets , or searching online to find another source .
How to read this post : UNVERIFIED : Claims that have no concrete evidence either confirming or refuting them .
This type of claim has either no sources or no evidence , and is based on conjecture with no original reporting behind it .
Treat this kind of information with healthy skepticism and wait to see how it develops .
MISLEADING : Posts that take a real event out of context , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests .
This can also include images that are presented at a deceptive angle or descriptions that cherry-pick facts .
Avoid spreading or engaging with this type of post .
FALSE : Reporters or reliable sources with direct knowledge have contradicted this information on the record , or it is refuted by unimpeachable evidence .
Examples include images or videos filmed at a different time or location but presented as recent , demonstrably false claims , and websites masquerading as news outlets publishing untrue information .
At about 1:05 minutes into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 3 , the president seemed to have hiccuped .
Many people online speculated that this was a sign that the video had been edited .
BuzzFeed News spoke with six different video analysis experts who all said that without a high-quality version of the video or access to its metadata , it ’ s impossible to make definitive conclusions , but each of them said that they saw no evidence of manipulation .
Logan Williams , a data scientist with investigative outlet Bellingcat , said he “ did n't see any indication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams analyzed both the audio and the camerawork .
“ You can tell that it 's handheld and stabilized , because there 's some camera drift throughout .
I analyzed the amount of camera drift over time , but did n't see any indication that it was n't a single take , ” Williams said .
What the experts did see was likely a hiccup .
Grant Fredericks , a certified forensic video analyst , said the moment is “ consistent with a hiccup , perhaps a very brief reflux response .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard.
” Part of the difficulty , the experts said , is the low quality of the video , which was likely compressed by the social media networks after being posted .
Catalin Grigoras , the director of the National Center for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado , said , “ I could n't find any unexplainable artifact on the entire recording.
” Grigoras qualified his analysis , saying that the social media “ recompressions mask most of the editing traces.
” For Hany Farid , a professor at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on digital forensics and image analysis , there 's no way of knowing whether anything had been edited out of the video .
“ No , I am not confident that this is a sign of an edit , ” he said .
“ This could have been something as simple as a hiccup , or if it was an edit , it was an edit to splice out a misspoken word.
” Some online said the video was edited using an Adobe tool called fluid morph , which smoothes out edits , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at best.
” Max Rizzuto , a research assistant at DFRLab who focuses on manipulated video , said that although he was sure the video was stabilized using software after it was recorded , “ my attempt at a closer look turns up inconclusive results.
” Steve Hoeg , a former director of engineering at Adobe who managed the team that developed Adobe 's Morph Cut tool , said it 's not possible to know for sure whether or not there was an edit to the video because Twitter compresses the quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he doubted it .
`` My best guess is this video was not manipulated , '' Hoeg said .
`` If it was edited , it was n't terribly well done , which makes me think it probably was n't .
There is clearly a suppressed cough or hiccup , but if that was followed by an actually removed cough why not remove the suppressed one as well ? ''
To illustrate his point , Hoeg himself applied that Adobe tool to Trump ’ s video .
In the version that Hoeg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seamlessly edited out .

At about 1:05 minutes into a video of President Donald Trump posted on Oct. 3, the president seemed to have hiccuped. Many people online speculated that this was a sign that the video had been edited.
BuzzFeed News spoke with six different video analysis experts who all said that without a high-quality version of the video or access to its metadata, it’s impossible to make definitive conclusions, but each of them said that they saw no evidence of manipulation.
Logan Williams, a data scientist with investigative outlet Bellingcat, said he “didn't see any indication that the video has been edited.” Williams analyzed both the audio and the camerawork.
“You can tell that it's handheld and stabilized, because there's some camera drift throughout. I analyzed the amount of camera drift over time, but didn't see any indication that it wasn't a single take,” Williams said.
What the experts did see was likely a hiccup. Grant Fredericks, a certified forensic video analyst, said the moment is “consistent with a hiccup, perhaps a very brief reflux response. A short audio ‘gasp’ can be heard.”
Part of the difficulty, the experts said, is the low quality of the video, which was likely compressed by the social media networks after being posted.


buzzfeed--2020-10-07--"SNL" Is Actually Paying People To Be A Part Of The Audience

For the first time in its history , SNL is paying audience members to attend , thanks to the new @ @ @ @ @ the state of New York .
With these new rules , shows have to pay @ @ @ @ @ other employee .

For the first time in its history, SNL is paying audience members to attend, thanks to the new post-pandemic guidelines for filming in the state of New York. With these new rules, shows have to pay audience members just like any other employee.


buzzfeed--2020-10-06--Donald Trump Told His Followers "Don't Be Afraid Of COVID" — And Amanda Kloots Had A Gut-Wrenching R

Donald Trump Told His Followers "Don't Be Afraid Of COVID" — And Amanda Kloots Had A Gut-Wrenching Response

She continued : `` To act like this disease is nothing and you got right over it ?
I 'm @ @ @ @ @ .
Thank god you did .
But guess what ?
There are a lot of @ @ @ @ @ And now , instead of bragging about how wonderful you did , why do n't @ @ @ @ @ now that I 've had this disease , I now can understand a little bit @ @ @ @ @ affected our country and these people .
And what can we do — what can @ @ @ @ @ I have that knowledge ? '
''

She continued: "To act like this disease is nothing and you got right over it? I'm so happy that you did. Thank god you did. But guess what? There are a lot of people who didn't. And now, instead of bragging about how wonderful you did, why don't you say, 'Wow, now that I've had this disease, I now can understand a little bit better how it could have affected our country and these people. And what can we do — what can I do — now that I have that knowledge?'"


buzzfeed--2020-10-06--Here's How You Can Actually Vote Safely In The Coronavirus Pandemic

Mail-in ballots are the safest way to vote in the the age of COVID-19 , because you can do it @ @ @ @ @ your couch !
No lines , no crowds , and no human interaction required .
@ @ @ @ @ so happens to be # MailReady Day — a day to encourage all eligible voters @ @ @ @ @ if they have n't already .
Do it right now here

Mail-in ballots are the safest way to vote in the the age of COVID-19, because you can do it right from the comfort of your couch! No lines, no crowds, and no human interaction required. Oh, and today just so happens to be #MailReady Day — a day to encourage all eligible voters to request their mail-in ballots if they haven't already. Do it right now here


buzzfeed--2020-10-06--Trey Songz Revealed He Has COVID-19 — Here's What He Wants People To Know

`` I do n't know how many of y'all know , but my grandfather passed earlier this year .
Although @ @ @ @ @ it was COVID , I do believe it was . ''

"I don't know how many of y'all know, but my grandfather passed earlier this year. Although it wasn't said that it was COVID, I do believe it was."


buzzfeed--2020-10-06--Donald Trump Told His Followers Not To Be Afraid Of COVID, And Chris Evans Had A Scathing Response

His own chief of staff , Mark Meadows , told press that his COVID symptoms were `` very concerning .
@ @ @ @ @ — after initially dodging the issue in a press conference — admitted yesterday that the @ @ @ @ @ on oxygen .
His doctor also revealed that Trump has been given dexamethasone , which @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization , is recommended for patients “ with severe and critical COVID-19 . ''

His own chief of staff, Mark Meadows, told press that his COVID symptoms were "very concerning." And Trump's doctor — after initially dodging the issue in a press conference — admitted yesterday that the POTUS needed to be put on oxygen. His doctor also revealed that Trump has been given dexamethasone, which, according to the World Health Organization, is recommended for patients “with severe and critical COVID-19."


buzzfeed--2020-10-06--A Psychologist Shared Photos From A Phenomenon Called The Thatcher Effect And It's Wild

`` This is thought to happen because our brains are so finely tuned to recognizing faces in the upright position @ @ @ @ @ identify many faces that are very similar as unique individuals very easily .
It has @ @ @ @ @ processes involved in face recognition rely as much on the structural relationship between features as @ @ @ @ @ example , the configuration between eyes , nose , and mouth , '' she explained @

"This is thought to happen because our brains are so finely tuned to recognizing faces in the upright position. This enables us to identify many faces that are very similar as unique individuals very easily. It has been hypothesized that the cognitive processes involved in face recognition rely as much on the structural relationship between features as the features themselves. For example, the configuration between eyes, nose, and mouth," she explained.


buzzfeed--2020-10-07--For Those Of You Who Are Having More Bad Days Than Good Right Now

“ I HOPE THIS finds you well .
But if it doesn ’ t , I 'm so sorry for whatever you 're carrying right now .
You must be tired.
” That ’ s how the first draft of this post began — and this final one , too , I guess — before it went some ways into trying to convince you that you are wonderful , and that I know it , despite not ever having met you .
I pointed to little moments I cherish , given to me by people who will not now recall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surely , you are the catalyst for similar moments without your knowing so .
It went as follows : “ I know you ’ re wonderful , because I once was sitting alone in a cafe , in a city not my own , and a woman came up to me , just to tell me she liked my freckles .
There ’ s no way she could ’ ve sensed , but I ’ ve always been fond of them and it felt wonderful to have someone think they ’ re lovely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I still remember my Year 8 English teacher , who spared some minutes after school to read my awful poetry , which I look back on with gratitude , though she will never know .
And a nurse , in the final hours of a night shift , made me laugh through my labouring pain , while we waited for my obstetrician to arrive — before going home and probably never thinking of me again .
But it made all the difference to me in my fear .
I am not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; no doubt Mrs White encountered so many more aspiring teenage writers ; and there have since been so many first-time mothers in that mint green birthing suite .
But for me , there will only be those three who could ’ ve given me those specific moments of joy and comfort .
”

“I HOPE THIS finds you well.
But if it doesn’t, I'm so sorry for whatever you're carrying right now. You must be tired.”
That’s how the first draft of this post began — and this final one, too, I guess — before it went some ways into trying to convince you that you are wonderful, and that I know it, despite not ever having met you. I pointed to little moments I cherish, given to me by people who will not now recall I exist, and that just as surely, you are the catalyst for similar moments without your knowing so. It went as follows:
“I know you’re wonderful, because I once was sitting alone in a cafe, in a city not my own, and a woman came up to me, just to tell me she liked my freckles. There’s no way she could’ve sensed, but I’ve always been fond of them and it felt wonderful to have someone think they’re lovely, too.
Over a decade later, I still remember my Year 8 English teacher, who spared some minutes after school to read my awful poetry, which I look back on with gratitude, though she will never know.
And a nurse, in the final hours of a night shift, made me laugh through my labouring pain, while we waited for my obstetrician to arrive — before going home and probably never thinking of me again. But it made all the difference to me in my fear.
I am not the last stranger with freckles in Downtown LA; no doubt Mrs White encountered so many more aspiring teenage writers; and there have since been so many first-time mothers in that mint green birthing suite. But for me, there will only be those three who could’ve given me those specific moments of joy and comfort.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-07--When Did Trump Test Negative For COVID-19? Officials Won’t Say.

CLEVELAND — Since President Donald Trump entered Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday , spokespeople and the president ’ s doctor have not answered questions about the date of the president ’ s last negative test for the coronavirus .
“ I do n't want to go backwards , ” Dr. Sean Conley said Sunday when asked about the president ’ s last negative result .
Trump appeared at last week ’ s presidential debate , which took place in Cleveland two days before he tested positive .
Campaigns were required to present negative test results for everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates — potentially the president ’ s last negative test .
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told BuzzFeed News on Friday , after Trump ’ s diagnosis , that everyone who had traveled on Air Force One had been tested that day for the coronavirus , though he did not provide further details about the type of test or how that information was conveyed to the Cleveland Clinic .
On Sunday , though , when asked whether the president was tested Tuesday before the debate , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany avoided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm not going to give you a detailed readout with timestamps every time the president is tested , ” she told reporters at a briefing .
“ He 's tested regularly , and the first positive test he 's received was Thursday after he returned from Bedminster.
” Asked again Tuesday about whether the president was tested the day of the debate , a White House official said , “ the president is tested regularly.
” Pressed on the previous comment to BuzzFeed News about testing the day of the debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record .
Trump ’ s campaign deferred questions to the White House .
The Cleveland Clinic , which cohosted last week ’ s debate and serves as a health adviser to the Commission on Presidential Debates , has not provided further details about what kind of test the president took or when — or if the Clinic was even privy to those details .
On Tuesday , Clinic officials confirmed that Trump ’ s campaign assured the Clinic that he had tested negative at some point during the 72 hours before last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ( and Joe Biden ) could have been tested as early as Saturday , Sept. 26 , and still met the requirements for the debate .
A source familiar with the process told BuzzFeed News that Biden tested negative on the Sunday before the debate .
If Trump was not tested on Wednesday , Sept. 30 , that timeline could mean his last recent negative result was as late as Tuesday or as early as the day he held a Rose Garden ceremony to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting senators and the president of the University of Notre Dame , who attended that event have since tested positive for the coronavirus .
Knowing the timing of Trump ’ s last negative test is important to establish when the president was exposed to the coronavirus and when he may have become contagious , including at the debate .
Typically , symptoms develop four to five days after a person is infected , though that “ incubation period ” can sometimes take up to two weeks .
The date of the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some light on when there were last low levels of the virus detectable in his body .
Knowing the type of test that was used is also important .
The rapid Abbott tests used by the White House are meant to be given within the first seven days of symptoms , and otherwise have a high rate of false negatives .
PCR tests , which take longer to get results , are more accurate .
Though the media and other debate participants were required to test negative on site within 72 hours of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entourages were allowed to abide by what debate moderator Chris Wallace and others have characterized as an “ honor system.
” “ The Cleveland Clinic required everyone entering the debate hall to have a negative COVID-19 test .
This was also required by the White House medical team , ” the Clinic said in an emailed statement Sunday night .
“ The campaigns had existing testing protocols , which were reviewed as part of the planning process in which the Cleveland Clinic , the Commission on Presidential Debates and the campaigns participated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the campaigns ’ respective medical teams would be ( 1 ) responsible for testing their respective candidates and entourages , and ( 2 ) required to certify to the Clinic on the day of the debate that all of those individuals had been tested by their medical teams with a negative test result within the approved time period before the debate .
Each campaign complied with this requirement.
” On Tuesday , responding to follow-up questions , a Clinic spokesperson confirmed that Trump , Biden , and their guests were held to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other debate attendees were .
The spokesperson did not answer questions about the type of test Trump took or whether he was required to disclose the precise date and time of his last negative result .
Since news of Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis early Friday morning , Biden has tested negative at least four times , including twice Friday , after potentially being exposed to Trump at the debate , and most recently Tuesday .
Biden ’ s campaign — which unlike Trump ’ s has adhered to strict social distancing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has pledged to release results from all of his future coronavirus tests .
Trump and Biden , spaced more than 12 feet apart , shared a stage indoors for more than 90 minutes at last week ’ s debate .
A ventilation expert told BuzzFeed News last week that , at that distance , the risk of transmitting the virus was low if Trump was already infected .
Members of Trump ’ s traveling party removed their masks after entering the debate hall and resisted efforts by Clinic employees to wear them while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president that day have also since tested positive , including McEnany , first lady Melania Trump , senior aide Hope Hicks , and campaign manager Bill Stepien .
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie , who helped prepare Trump for the debate but did not travel with him to Cleveland , was hospitalized over the weekend after testing positive for the coronavirus .
These family members and advisers were in close physical proximity to Trump the prior weekend , including the events surrounding Barrett ’ s nomination and debate strategy sessions .

CLEVELAND — Since President Donald Trump entered Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday, spokespeople and the president’s doctor have not answered questions about the date of the president’s last negative test for the coronavirus.
“I don't want to go backwards,” Dr. Sean Conley said Sunday when asked about the president’s last negative result.
Trump appeared at last week’s presidential debate, which took place in Cleveland two days before he tested positive. Campaigns were required to present negative test results for everyone who entered the debate hall with the candidates — potentially the president’s last negative test.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told BuzzFeed News on Friday, after Trump’s diagnosis, that everyone who had traveled on Air Force One had been tested that day for the coronavirus, though he did not provide further details about the type of test or how that information was conveyed to the Cleveland Clinic. On Sunday, though, when asked whether the president was tested Tuesday before the debate, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany avoided a direct answer.
“Yeah, I'm not going to give you a detailed readout with timestamps every time the president is tested,” she told reporters at a briefing. “He's tested regularly, and the first positive test he's received was Thursday after he returned from Bedminster.”
Asked again Tuesday about whether the president was tested the day of the debate, a White House official said, “the president is tested regularly.” Pressed on the previous comment to BuzzFeed News about testing the day of the debate, the White House would not answer on the record. Trump’s campaign deferred questions to the White House.
The Cleveland Clinic, which cohosted last week’s debate and serves as a health adviser to the Commission on Presidential Debates, has not provided further details about what kind of test the president took or when — or if the Clinic was even privy to those details.
On Tuesday, Clinic officials confirmed that Trump’s campaign assured the Clinic that he had tested negative at some point during the 72 hours before last week’s debate. That means Trump (and Joe Biden) could have been tested as early as Saturday, Sept. 26, and still met the requirements for the debate. A source familiar with the process told BuzzFeed News that Biden tested negative on the Sunday before the debate.
If Trump was not tested on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that timeline could mean his last recent negative result was as late as Tuesday or as early as the day he held a Rose Garden ceremony to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court. Several people, including sitting senators and the president of the University of Notre Dame, who attended that event have since tested positive for the coronavirus.
Knowing the timing of Trump’s last negative test is important to establish when the president was exposed to the coronavirus and when he may have become contagious, including at the debate. Typically, symptoms develop four to five days after a person is infected, though that “incubation period” can sometimes take up to two weeks. The date of the president’s last negative test would help shed some light on when there were last low levels of the virus detectable in his body.
Knowing the type of test that was used is also important. The rapid Abbott tests used by the White House are meant to be given within the first seven days of symptoms, and otherwise have a high rate of false negatives. PCR tests, which take longer to get results, are more accurate.
Though the media and other debate participants were required to test negative on site within 72 hours of the debate, the candidates and their entourages were allowed to abide by what debate moderator Chris Wallace and others have characterized as an “honor system.”
“The Cleveland Clinic required everyone entering the debate hall to have a negative COVID-19 test. This was also required by the White House medical team,” the Clinic said in an emailed statement Sunday night. “The campaigns had existing testing protocols, which were reviewed as part of the planning process in which the Cleveland Clinic, the Commission on Presidential Debates and the campaigns participated. After that review, it was agreed that the campaigns’ respective medical teams would be (1) responsible for testing their respective candidates and entourages, and (2) required to certify to the Clinic on the day of the debate that all of those individuals had been tested by their medical teams with a negative test result within the approved time period before the debate. Each campaign complied with this requirement.”
On Tuesday, responding to follow-up questions, a Clinic spokesperson confirmed that Trump, Biden, and their guests were held to the same 72-hour window that media and other debate attendees were. The spokesperson did not answer questions about the type of test Trump took or whether he was required to disclose the precise date and time of his last negative result.
Since news of Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis early Friday morning, Biden has tested negative at least four times, including twice Friday, after potentially being exposed to Trump at the debate, and most recently Tuesday. Biden’s campaign — which unlike Trump’s has adhered to strict social distancing and other safety guidelines during the pandemic — has pledged to release results from all of his future coronavirus tests.
Trump and Biden, spaced more than 12 feet apart, shared a stage indoors for more than 90 minutes at last week’s debate. A ventilation expert told BuzzFeed News last week that, at that distance, the risk of transmitting the virus was low if Trump was already infected.
Members of Trump’s traveling party removed their masks after entering the debate hall and resisted efforts by Clinic employees to wear them while seated. Several people who accompanied the president that day have also since tested positive, including McEnany, first lady Melania Trump, senior aide Hope Hicks, and campaign manager Bill Stepien. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who helped prepare Trump for the debate but did not travel with him to Cleveland, was hospitalized over the weekend after testing positive for the coronavirus. These family members and advisers were in close physical proximity to Trump the prior weekend, including the events surrounding Barrett’s nomination and debate strategy sessions.