'Feeling great': Trump tugs off mask as he rallied hundreds of supporters amid COVID scare

Earlier, US President Donald Trump has come under criticism after he checked out of hospital and pulled off his mask the moment he reached the White House. Trump, who was receiving treatment for COVID-19, jumped back into election race on October 10 and hosted his first public event at the White House since being diagnosed with the virus. While stepping out to a White House balcony to address hundreds of supporters, Trump declared ‘I am feeling great’ and tugged off his mask, yet again. 

“Get out and vote. I love you,” Trump told his supporters who were seen wearing red ‘Make America Great Again’ masks and hats, but with little social distancing. 

Trump ‘no longer considered a transmission risk’

Trump had tested positive for the infection on October 2, however, the White House has not provided any official update on his COVID-19 negative status. The doctors had announced late Saturday that the president was ‘no longer considered a transmission risk’. According to reports, Trump’s report showed that there was ‘no longer evidence of actively replicating virus’ and that his viral load was ‘decreasing’. 

READ: Trump Accuses Biden Of 'shipping Jobs To China'

The guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say that for mild or moderate coronavirus cases, isolation and precautions can be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset, and once patients have been fever-free for 24 hours. However, the severity of the President’s illness has not been confirmed. Although Trump has declared himself recovered, doubts over his health still linger. 

Trump repeatedly downplayed COVID-19 pandemic 

Before testing positive for coronavirus, Trump has consistently played down concerns about being personally vulnerable to contracting COVID-19. Even though the unprecedented virus has killed over 200,000 Americans and infected over seven million nationwide, Trump has repeatedly challenged several scientific conclusions about the virus made by his own administration, such as refuting the need for masks and face coverings in public places. 

From saying that the virus ‘affects virtually nobody’ to implying the shutting down business was not necessary, the US President, on several occasions, has said that the threat to the US from coronavirus will be over soon, magically. 

READ: Biden Hits Trump On Economy And Response To Pandemic

Recently, in his first debate with Democratic leader Joe Biden, he also defended his decision to often appear in public without a facial covering, expelling that he wears a mask ‘when needed’. Previously, Trump had also vowed not to order Americans to wear masks to contain the spread of the deadly virus. He has very seldom worn a mask for the world to see and has said that he does wear one when he can’t practice social distancing. he even refused to wear a mask during the tour of Ford facility in Michigan.

Moreover, back in May, Trump had told media photographers, "I wore one in the back area, but I didn’t want to press to get the pleasure of seeing it". 

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