Coronavirus fears grow for Donald Trump as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro awaits test result
Fears that Donald Trump could have been exposed to coronavirus have grown as a fellow world leader he met just days ago awaits a test result for the infection.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will find out tomorrow if he has Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, just five days after he met with Trump at his Mar-A-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida. The tests come shortly after his press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, was confirmed on Wednesday to have been infected by the coronavirus.
Bolsonaro and Wajngarten attended a dinner with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at Mar-A-Lago on Saturday. Trump was seen shaking hands with the Brazilian leader – but the White House insisted Trump and Pence ‘do not require’ coronavirus testing after the meeting.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters he ‘isn’t concerned’ about the possibility of catching the coronavirus.
‘I did hear something about that. We had dinner together. We did nothing unusual. We sat next to one another for a period of time.’
Trump falls in the one of the highest risk demographics for complications caused by a coronavirus infection. According to the World Health Organization, people over the age of 60 are at a higher risk of developing a severe case of Covid-19.
‘Individuals at highest risk for severe disease and death include people aged over 60 years and those with underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer,’ the WHO wrote in an analysis.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said ‘exposures from the case are being assessed, which will dictate next steps.’
‘The White House Medical Unite and the United States Secret Service has been working closely with the various agencies to ensure every precaution has been taken to keep the First & Second Families, and all White House staff healthy.’