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The media is anxiously waiting to report whether Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro tested positive (and then negative) for coronavirus. The Brazilian leader recently shook hands with President Trump. If the Brazilian leader tests positive for coronavirus, the media will claim that Trump’s brief interaction with Bolsonaro is reason enough to believe that Trump is infected, carrying the virus around and putting other people at risk.
Jair Bolsonaro is being tested because one of his top aides, Fabio Wajngarten, has tested positive for coronavirus. President Trump and VP Mike Pence were recently pictured standing next to Wajngarten at Mar-A-Lago. Three members of the Brazilian delegation are now experiencing flu-like symptoms and are undergoing tests to confirm the infection.
The media is doing everything in their power to make the President and the general public paranoid about every hand he shakes, every surface he touches, and every gasp of air he takes. The media wants to see President Trump put himself in voluntary isolation, even though he is not sick at this time. Trump told reporters today that he is not worried about possible exposure to the coronavirus.
Making contact with a sick person does not mean you will get sick. Every person has their own immune system; you can either be confident in the ability of your own immune system, giving it the instructions it needs in order to function, or you can live in fear of sickness and distance yourself from the rest of the world.
When pressed about the close contact with potentially infected people, Trump said, “Let’s put it this way: I’m not concerned.” How successful will the media be in convincing the public that Trump is spreading the disease?
When Trump heard about the Brazilian leader’s aide being exposed to the virus, he said, “We did nothing very unusual.” Trump told reporters, “We sat next to each other for a period of time, had a great conversation.” The media will continue to pressure Trump to get tested for the virus.
White House press secretary Stephani Grisham had to please the media about the situation. She said Trump and Pence “had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time.”
Every interaction that Trump makes with people will now be scrutinized by the media. Trump has met with dozens of officials and executives this week, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. If these people’s immune systems are weak and they get sick this week, Trump could be blamed for spreading the disease to them, even if he has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
Other Congress members and staff members of the President have been taking extreme cautionary measures, isolating themselves for fourteen days because they came in proximity of someone who might have been in contact with someone who had an infection. Florida Governor Rick Scott has had no contact with Bolsonaro and the sick Brazilian delegation but he decided to self quarantine “out of an abundance of caution.” Senator Lindsey Graham is another one who has decided to self quarantine, even though he has “no recollection” of direct contact with the Brazilian leader or his aide.
Even if President Trump continues healthily into old age, he is human and is probably not immune to this new strain of virus. If an infection in the President becomes evident and testing comes back positive, there will likely be a new level of panic and blame felt throughout the country.
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