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President Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test has sent waves of concern across the country and around the world. Trump’s diagnosis upends the presidential campaign, with just a month remaining before the Nov. 3 election. It has rattled world economic markets and other world leaders. It has raised questions about that president’s ability to do his job and whether Vice President Mike Pence should be given more authority.
The Friday morning announcement that Trump, first lady Melania Trump and a White House staffer have tested positive for coronavirus should be met with concern and compassion. It is a time to wish our president, his wife and others in his administration good health.
We disagree with Trump on many things, but he is our president and we fervently hope that his case of coronavirus, like the majority of cases, is mild and that, after a required quarantine, he is able to fully return to his duties.
On Friday, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said that he and his wife Jill “send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery.”
“We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” he tweeted.
We share these sentiments. Everyone should.
However, we also need to recognize the president’s hypocrisy and missteps regarding coronavirus, especially his downplaying of its severity and his lack of empathy for those who have lost their lives to the virus.
The president and first lady are fortunate that their recovery will be aided by round-the-clock, high-quality medical care and an ability to easily quarantine at the White House, at taxpayer expense.
This is not the case for the nearly 7. 3 million Americans who have contracted COVID-19, nearly 208,000 of whom have died. The virus has disproportionately harmed low-income and people of color in the U.S. This summer, Black Mainers were 20 times more likely to have been diagnosed with coronavirus than the state’s white residents. They are also heavily affected by the economic consequences of the shutdowns that have been put in place to slow the spread of the illness.
In addition, the president, his family and staff are surrounded by security and have ready access to protective equipment and coronavirus tests. Yet, several White House staff members, and now the president himself, have contracted the illness.
This highlights the dangers of the illness and the serious consequences of the president’s failure to take the virus — and the safety measures needed to prevent its spread — seriously.
The president has occasionally worn a mask, but as recently as Tuesday’s debate with former Vice President Joe Biden, mocked them. He previously has said they weren’t necessary. He has held large rallies, some of them indoors, where many participants did not wear masks. He has met with staff members and others in small rooms.
It’s not immediately clear how or where the president contracted the virus, but it is clear that forgoing masks and holding large, indoor events runs contrary to findings and advice of medical and public health experts. That same experience and expertise, if followed, will hopefully help get the president, first lady and their staff through their diagnoses safely and quickly.
It’s worrisome that the president has joined the list of world leaders who have tested positive for COVID-19. We wish him a speedy recovery, and hope that this unfortunate experience emphasizes to the president and to the country how important it is to listen to the medical experts, to recognize how inequality and access to resources has impacted health outcomes during the pandemic, and to take steps to protect others from a serious disease.
