By Allan Smith - NBC News
The president, Donald Trump, said this Sunday that he possibly has "the protective light" of immunity to COVID-19, although it is currently unknown when was the last time he tested negative for this disease.
In a lengthy interview with Fox News journalist Maria Bartiromo, Trump assured that he defeated the new coronavirus and that he exceeded the most demanding standards to demonstrate that.
The president also said that he is no longer taking any drugs to fight the virus,
having received aggressive treatment
of steroids that are usually given to the most serious patients.
"It seems that I am immune, I don't know by how much, maybe for a long period, maybe for a short period," he said.
“It can be forever.
Nobody really knows.
But I am immune.
Therefore, the president is in a very good condition to be able to fight in all the battles, ”he said of himself.
[Doctors say Trump is fit to return to the White House, but acknowledge that he "has not overcome" the coronavirus]
As reported by the news agency The Associated Press, a reinfection of COVID-19 is unlikely for at least three months from the first contagion, but there are few diseases that are associated with permanent immunity after being triggered.
Researchers said in August that a Hong Jong man
became infected a second time
, suggesting that immunity may be short-term in at least some patients.
Trump spoke hours after his doctor said in a letter this Saturday that the president no longer considers himself a contagious patient and can now be around others in full safety.
"Ten days after the appearance of symptoms, without the presence of fever for more than 24 hours and with all symptoms in the improvement phase, a set of advanced tests shows that there is no longer evidence that the virus is actively replicating" Dr. Sean Conley said in a note regarding his patient.
"From now on, I will continue to monitor his clinical situation as he returns to an active schedule," he added.
Conley also said that the viral loads in Trump "were in phase of decline", which means that the presence of the virus in every sample taken from the patient was decreasing.
However, the doctor, who earlier this month admitted that he was offering a less disturbing picture of what the president's health conditions actually were to provide an "optimistic" picture of the situation, did not say whether Trump has recently tested negative. the virus, or when was the last time that happened.
Trump, his team and the medical staff who take care of his health
have repeatedly refused to give details
regarding the progress of their screening tests.
Pressured by reporters, last week Conley said, "I don't want to go back."
Joe Biden questions Trump's mass event at the White House and calls for transparency about his health
Oct. 10, 202000: 26
His letter this Saturday also does not offer new information about Trump's treatment protocol.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
establish that infected people must isolate themselves for
at least 10 days
from the appearance of the first symptoms.
In the case of the most serious patients, the isolation can last up to 20 days.
Trump showed the first symptoms 10 days ago.
The treatment given to the president includes a potent steroid, dexamethasone, and a mixture of antibodies produced by Regeneron.
The president required extra oxygen twice after manifesting symptoms, according to his medical team.
After this Sunday's interview on Fox, Trump tweeted about the virus: "It cannot infect me (immune) and I cannot transmit it."
Twitter soon
placed a warning above the message
and limited the ability to retweet or like it.
"This Tweet violated Twitter Rules on the dissemination of misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19," the social network wrote.
"However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest to keep the tweet accessible."
Trump is scheduled to return to his election campaign activity this Monday with a rally in Florida.
His next stages for the week are scheduled in Pennsylvania and Iowa.
This Saturday, Trump was present for the first time at a public event at the White House since he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
"It's disappearing," Trump said of the virus itself, as positive cases in the country increase.
More than 215,000 Americans died
from this pathogen, according to estimates by NBC News (Telemundo's sister network).
Erik Trump, the president's son, said on ABC on Sunday that his father "was hit hard" by the virus in the first days he showed symptoms.
"What I can tell you as a son is that it is never fun to see your father fly to Walter Reed Hospital in a Marine One," he said, adding that his father seemed to be "100%" when he spoke with him this Saturday. .
Then, he
falsely
said
that Trump had received a "vaccine" to fight the virus
(instead of therapeutic treatments)
.
"In fact, this probably accounts for how good some of these vaccines are being created, and what my father has done on the vaccine front, no one could have done it," he said, adding that his father “ he worked to push this vaccine "and now" he just took it. "
NBC News has confirmed that 23 people close to Trump and three Republican senators tested positive for Covid-19 in the days leading up to the president's diagnosis.
With information from Fox News, AP, ABC.