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Published 10:42 IST, October 7th 2020

Donald Trump's Facebook post on Covid deleted; Twitter flags it as 'harmful information'

Twitter hid Donald's Trump's tweet behind a warning about "spreading misleading & potentially harmful information" about Covid & Facebook removed the same post

Reported by: Jay Pandya
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Following his departure from the Walter Reed Medical Center, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday had a restful first night at home, and reported no symptoms of COVID-19, confirmed White House physician Dr Sean Conley. In a Twitter post, the President wrote that the Flu season is coming up and "Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the vaccine, die from the Flu."

'We have learned to live with it'

The US President added the Americans had "learned to live with" flu season, "just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!" Twitter hid Trump's tweet behind a warning about "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information". Meanwhile, Facebook Inc removed the Trump post for breaking its rules on COVID-19 misinformation, according to CNN. According to media reports, this is the second time that Facebook has deleted a post from Donald Trump whereas Twitter has intervened more often with deletions and warnings.

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The President reacted by posting: "REPEAL SECTION 230!!!" According to BBC, "This is a reference to a law that says social networks are not responsible for the content posted by their users." The United States has the world’s highest death toll from the pandemic, with more than 209,000 deaths. During the 2019-2020 influenza season, the flu was associated with 22,000 deaths, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

READ | As Donald Trump recuperates at Walter Reed's 'Presidential Suite'; here are first pictures

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Trump removes mask after returning to White House

On Monday, Trump returned to the White House after departing from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was admitted for treatment of COVID-19. As soon as he reached the White House he took off his mask despite caution from Dr Conley that Trump was not entirely "out of the woods yet".

READ | Donald Trump compares COVID-19 with flu, says people'll have to 'learn to live with it'

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"After exiting the presidential helicopter, Trump entered the White House through the Blue Room balcony and walked upstairs from South Portico. He then proceeded to take off his mask and put it in his pocket while he gave a thumbs up to the onlookers from the balcony," CNN reported. On Thursday, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for Coronavirus.

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(With agency inputs)

10:42 IST, October 7th 2020