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October 2: Trump's Covid diagnosis

By Veronica Rocha, Melissa Macaya, Melissa Mahtani and Fernando Alfonso III, CNN

Updated 12:44 a.m. ET, October 3, 2020

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7:39 a.m. ET, October 2, 2020

Biden will be tested for coronavirus this morning

From CNN’s Jamie Gangel

In light of President Trump's positive test, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected to get tested for coronavirus this morning, according to a source familiar with his plans.

Earlier this week, President Trump and Biden shared the debate stage during the first presidential debate. The candidates did not shake hands with each other and did not shake hands with the moderator. Biden nor Trump wore masks on stage.

According to the Commission on Presidential Debates, everyone attending the debate at Case Western Reserve University, would undergo testing for Covid-19 and follow other health safety protocols.

7:32 a.m. ET, October 2, 2020

Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis spurs national security concerns, ex-DHS official says

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, says that President Trump having coronavirus also sparks national security concerns.

“You have key agents that are responsible for protecting him that now likely have to also go into quarantine. So you have new shifts of agents coming in. … There's going to be an extensive contact tracing effort, and this isn't just a contact tracing effort for anyone. It's a contact tracing effort for the commander in chief,” Taylor said on CNN’s “New Day.”

“There's a broader issue here regarding continuity of government,” he said.

Taylor said that while he was in the DHS, there were trainings to prepare for situations where leadership might be affected from doing their jobs.

“The thing that very few of us have talked about publicly and hoped never happened is that that lax approach to the Covid-19 pandemic might actually have an affect on the stability of the federal government. We are now in that situation,” he said.

Taylor said that while he wishes the President a speedy recovery, “we have to consider the possibility that this may affect, again, his ability to carry out the duties of his office. That's a big concern. It's something that this White House wasn't preparing for, in my view.”

Taylor said officials also need to keep an eye on foreign actors looking to capitalize on this moment.

“Senior national security officials are watching to make sure that our foreign adversaries don't find a way to exploit this health crisis that's reached the highest levels of the US government,” he added.

Watch:

2:53 p.m. ET, October 2, 2020

Ohio governor sends best wishes to the President and first lady

From CNN's Chuck Johnston

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued the following statement on the news that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19.

"Fran and I join our fellow Ohioans in praying for President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after they announced early today that they have both tested positive for Covid-19."

"Along with millions of others, we extend our prayers and best wishes to the President and First Lady during this time for a speedy recovery and for their good health," he said.

2:52 p.m. ET, October 2, 2020

WHO director-general wishes Trump and first lady "full and speedy recovery"

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization's director-general, wished President Trump and first lady Melania Trump a "full and speedy recovery" on Friday.

Trump tweeted early Friday that he and the first lady tested positive for Covid-19 and will begin to quarantine immediately.

In May, Trump announced the decision to withdraw the United States from WHO. The withdrawal, which goes into effect July 6, 2021, has drawn criticism from some bipartisan lawmakers, medical associations, advocacy groups and allies abroad.

6:54 a.m. ET, October 2, 2020

Dr. Sanjay Gupta says the odds are very much in Trump's favor

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

President Donald Trump walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on October 1, in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Given President Trump’s age and his pre-existing conditions, he’s going to be at increased risk after he tested positive for Covid-19. However, the odds are in his favor, CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said.

"The odds are very much in his favor. I don't want to unsettle people too much with this. You know, greater than 90% - 95% chance that he will get through this, still," he said on CNN's New Day.

Trump has several risk factors for more severe Covid-19 symptoms, including his age and body mass index. Men are also more likely to suffer severe illness from coronavirus than women.

Moving forward, the President needs to be in isolation "for probably up to two weeks," Gupta said.

Some context from Gupta: Isolation is different than quarantine. Isolation is for people who are infected with the virus. They've got to be isolated. All the people that he came in contact with, had close contact with — more than 15 minutes, within 6 feet — they need to be quarantined, not just tested. Tests can come back false negative. They need to be quarantined.

"We're talking about the highest levels of government. There's a lot of people [who] today will learn that they need to be in quarantine for possibly the next two weeks," he added.

Watch Dr. Gupta discuss:

2:52 p.m. ET, October 2, 2020

What world leaders and politicians are saying about Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis

World leaders and politicians are reacting today to the news that President Donald Trump and Melania Trump have coronavirus.

Here's what some of them are saying:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who contracted Covid-19 in the spring

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

“Chancellor #Merkel: I send all my best wishes to Donald and Melania Trump. I hope that you will get over the #corona infection and will soon be completely healthy again. @POTUS @FLOTUS," government spokesperson Steffen Seibert tweeted on behalf of Merkel.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

“My sincere wishes for a speedy recovery to US President Donald Trump and the First Lady, and for them to progress beyond this stage quickly in order to return to full health and wellness and to continue to lead with the valuable efforts of the United States on combating this virus worldwide, for the benefit of all humanity. May God protect our people, and all peoples of the world," the Egyptian leader said on Facebook.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Afghanistan’s Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in

“[The] First lady and I wish you and your wife a speedy recovery, along with the people of South Korea. We also would like to extend a word of consolation and encouragement to your family and the American People," he said in a letter.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte

European Council President Charles Michel

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The Kremlin

Speaking in a conference call with journalists, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, "We certainly wish President Trump a speedy recovery.”

6:29 a.m. ET, October 2, 2020

Here's what CDC guidelines say should happen when someone tests positive for Covid-19

From CNN's Christina Maxouris

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters is pictured in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 14. Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg/Getty Images

President Trump announced early Friday he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for Covid-19.

His announcement came just hours after news that Hope Hicks, one of the President's closest aides, also tested positive. Hicks had traveled with Trump multiple times recently and was seen this week with several other of the President's aides — none of whom wore masks.

"This is very concerning," says Anne Rimoin, an epidemiology professor at UCLA. "The number of people that could potentially be exposed and at risk of contracting this virus is significant here."

There are many questions going forward — including who else may have been exposed to the virus and what the President and the first lady will need to do now.

Here's what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says should happen when someone tests positive for the virus or is exposed to an infected individual:

If you test positive: People who have tested positive for Covid-19 need to go into isolation, according to guidance from the CDC updated in August. Those in isolation should stay home, unless they need to get medical care, and monitor their symptoms, according to the agency. Those infected should wear masks covering their nose and mouth when they're around others, the CDC said.
Who may have been exposed: According to the CDC, an infected person can spread the virus starting 48 hours before the person has any symptoms or tests positive. "By letting your close contacts know they may have been exposed to COVID-19, you are helping to protect everyone," the agency said.
About close contacts: The CDC says close contacts can include: anyone who was within six feet of an infected individual for at least 15 minutes; anyone who cared for someone who was infected or had direct physical contact, like hugging or kissing; anyone who shared eating or drinking utensils and anyone who may have gotten respiratory droplets from an infected individual through something like a sneeze or a cough.

Keeping reading CDC's Covid-19 guidelines here.

2:52 p.m. ET, October 2, 2020

US lawmakers, governors and national leaders wish Trump a "speedy recovery"

From CNN’s Paul Murphy and Joe Sutton

US lawmakers, state governors and national leaders tweeted their well-wishes to President Trump and Melania Trump following their diagnosis of coronavirus.

Here's what they said:

Arizona Sen. Martha McSally

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine

"Fran and I join our fellow Ohioans in praying for President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after they announced early today that they have both tested positive for COVID-19," he said in a statement. "Along with millions of others, we extend our prayers and best wishes to the President and First Lady during this time for a speedy recovery and for their good health."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Michigan Rep. Justin Amash

Rev. Jesse Jackson

6:24 a.m. ET, October 2, 2020

Pompeo says he and wife tested negative for coronavirus

From CNN's Alison Main

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Dubrovnik, Croatia, on October 2, as part of a six-day trip to Southern Europe. Darko Bandic/AFP/Getty Images

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the press pool traveling with him in Dubrovnik that he and his wife tested negative for coronavirus on Friday morning.

He said he has not been with President Trump since the signing of the Abraham Accords at the White House on Sept. 15, adding he's been traveling for the majority of the past 17 days.

“We are praying for the President and first lady that they’ll have a speedy recovery," Pompeo, who was wearing an American flag mask, told reporters.

Asked if he was still planning on traveling this weekend, Pompeo said "we're going to evaluate" whether it is appropriate to travel to Florida on Saturday and then to Asia on Sunday. He said "we'll spend the next few hours" consulting with medical experts on the issue, adding that his doctor in Washington and the State Department medical team had already told him it would be "perfectly fine" for him to make the trips.

"You know, we take a lot of precautions," Pompeo said when asked if he would be taking extra protective measures in light of the news. He said there would be extra contact tracing in place for people who had been to the White House.

Asked if he would get any additional briefings since he is fourth in the presidential line of succession, he replied, "I don't think so," adding that he already has had access to "just about everything" in his role.

Pompeo said no one he is traveling with is currently experiencing coronavirus symptoms and that the medical team has cleared the group to make their planned stop in Croatia.

He said he would provide a further update to pool reporters on board the plane once he completes his planned stop in Croatia.