While US President Donald Trump is exhibiting mild symptoms of coronavirus, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden have tested negative for coronavirus.
The Democratic presidential nominee and his wife were tested earlier in the day after news that US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus was confirmed by Trump himself.
Joe Biden’s physician Dr Kevin O’Connor released the negative results in a statement issued by the Biden campaign.
The Democratic leader was on the debate stage with Trump for more than 90 minutes earlier in the week.
After testing negative, Biden, in a social media post, thanked his supporters for “messages of concern.” He added, “I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”
The former US vice-president will continue campaigning for the presidential election which will be held on November 3. He is moving forward with plans to travel to Michigan.
Biden spent much of the spring and early summer close to his Wilmington, Delaware, home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But he’s stepped up his travel in the final stretch of the campaign, while still taking heed of public health guidelines.
He regularly wears a mask in public, something that Trump taunted Biden for during this week’s debate. And he mostly appears in front of small, socially distanced crowds.
Biden’s vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris also tested negative on Thursday as part of her campaign’s routine screening for the virus.
US VICE-PRESIDENT, TRUMP’S CHILDREN TEST NEGATIVE
Meanwhile, US Vice-President Mike Pence, next in line for the Oval Office, has tested negative for Covid-19, hours after President Donald Trump announced that he was infected and went into quarantine. Pence would take over as acting president should Trump become incapacitated while undergoing medical treatment. That has happened three times in US history.
Other than Pence, other senior White House officials such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are among those who tested negative.
Donald Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband and White House advisor Jared Kushner also tested negative as did the US President’s youngest child Barron Trump.
US PRESIDENT TESTS COVID POSITIVE, SHOWS MILD SYMPTOMS
US President Donald Trump is experiencing mild symptoms but will keep working after testing positive for the coronavirus, administration officials said on Friday, as the White House and presidential election campaign scrambled to adjust to the bombshell development.
Trump, who has played down the threat of the coronavirus pandemic from the outset, said he and his wife Melania were going into quarantine after testing positive for the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans and dealt severe damage to the US economy.
The US President is not incapacitated and is working in isolation to avoid infecting others, officials said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said the president, 74, was exhibiting mild symptoms. They gave no more details about his condition.
He is at high risk because of his age and weight. He has remained in apparent good health during his time in office but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.
Stocks on Wall Street fell almost 1 per cent on news of one of the biggest health scares involving an American president for decades.