US president Donald Trump’s son Barron Trump had coronavirus, according to his mother, first lady Melania Trump.
In a lengthy statement on Wednesday on the White House website, Melania Trump detailled how Barron Trump tested positive for coronavirus after she and Donald Trump both had earlier this month. He “exhibited no symptoms”, she said, and has since tested negative.
The president and Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago, and Donald Trump spent three days hospitalised at Walter Reed medical centre before returning to the White House. On Monday, the White House said the president had tested negative for the virus. In Wednesday’s statement, Melania Trump said she’s also tested negative.
Trump has repeatedly downplayed the threat of coronavirus, and continued to do so after his diagnosis, calling it a “blessing from God” that he was infected and telling Americans “don’t be afraid” of the virus.
Donald Trump has also repeatedly spread misinformation about the virus’s threat to children, saying falsely that children are unlikely to catch it or are “almost immune” (they are not).
Hundreds of thousands of children in the US have gotten coronavirus this year.
Over two dozen people surrounding Donald Trump and the White House have tested positive for the virus in the last 10 days. Several of them — including Donald Trump, Melania Trump and two Republican senators — attended the September 26 Rose Garden event for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court, where guests flouted public health guidance by not wearing masks or social distancing.
The US continues to lead the world in confirmed Covid-19 cases and deaths, with over 7.8 million cases and 216,000 dead so far.