Trump Covid-19: Criticised over drive-past

President Donald Trump waved to well-wishers from behind the glass of a sealed car. Inside the car, at least two people could be seen wearing protective gear in the front seats. US President sat in the back.

Moreover, experts says that the president’s short car trip broke public health advice to quarantine when seeking treatment for the virus. Also, he may have put Secret Service agents inside the vehicle at risk of infection.

As a result, President Donald Trump sparked criticism for briefly leaving Walter Reed military hospital in an SUV to thank supporters on Sunday. This political stunt that raised questions about the Covid-19 infection risk to his driver and security team.

Although, he was masked as he waved from inside his bulletproof vehicle during the short trip outside Walter Reed military medical centre near Washington, which appeared designed to take back the narrative on his improving health after a weekend of muddled messaging from his doctors.

Also, the last-minute limousine outing came with Trump’s doctors satisfied enough about his progress to suggest the possibility of his being discharged on Monday.

But experts complained that the outing broke his own government’s public health guidelines requiring patients to isolate while they are in treatment and still shedding virus and endangered his Secret Service protection.

Moreover, Trump, who has been repeatedly rebuked for flouting public health guidelines and spreading misinformation on the pandemic, said in a video that dropped on Twitter just before the appearance that he had “learned a lot about Covid” by “really going to school” as he has battled the virus.

SEE TRUMP’S VIDEO HERE

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1312864232711520257?s=20

CRITICISM FACED BY TRUMP

Health experts took to the airwaves and social media to criticise the “stunt”, which they said demonstrated that he had learned nothing at all.

JAMES PHILLIPS TWEET

“Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days,” said James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University.

“They might get sick. They may die. For political theatre. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theatre. This is insanity.” he added.

https://twitter.com/DrPhillipsMD/status/1312867868028141568?s=20

Also, White House spokesman Judd Deere said “appropriate” precautions had been taken to protect Trump and his support staff, including protective gear.

“The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do,” he added.

ZEKE EMANUEL’S TWEET

Zeke Emanuel, chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and regular TV pundit, described the appearance as “shameful”.

“Making his Secret Service agents drive with a Covid-19 patient, with windows up no less, put them needlessly at risk for infection. And for what? A PR stunt,” he tweeted.

Trump's irresponsibility is seemingly endless.

Making his Secret Service agents drive with a COVID-19 patient, with windows up no less, put them needlessly at risk for infection.

And for what? A PR stunt.

It's shameful. These agents already risk their lives daily. https://t.co/fyIcbJc6aR

— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel) October 4, 2020

Know more details about Trump and his wife tested positive for covid-19