Trump on Johnson, UK ventilators, virus impact

President Donald Trump says the United Kingdom has requested 200 ventilators to help them with their battle against the coronavirus.

Trump made the comment Tuesday at the White House during his daily briefing with the Coronavirus Task Force.

The President also sent prayers out for the UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is in intensive care fighting the virus.

Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday with a fever and cough that persisted 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. He was moved to the intensive care unit Monday evening after his condition worsened.

Ventilators have been in demand around the United States especially in New York, the state hardest hit so far with COVID-19 positive cases and deaths.

Trump also says the coronavirus is hitting African-Americans harder, according to data on the pandemic.

The President says his administration is trying to address what he termed a “tremendous challenge.” He said COVID-19 has been showing up in a disproportional way in African-American communities.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the medical community has known for a long time that diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and asthma hit minority populations harder, especially African-Americans.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, says it's “very sad,” but there is not much that can be done right now except to try to give these people the best care possible.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and a cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.