Trump’s corona ‘Don & dusted’
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has declared himself immune to COVID-19 and ready for a fight, as his White House race against surging rival Joe Biden enters its critical final weeks.
Mr Trump’s doctors gave him the all-clear to return to the campaign trail after he was ruled no longer a transmission risk — although he has yet to be declared virus-free, and his immunity claim is unproven.
“It looks like I’m immune for, I don’t know, maybe a long time and maybe a short time, it could be a lifetime, nobody really knows, but I’m immune,” Mr Trump told Fox News.
“The word immunity munity means something, having really a protective ve glow. So now you u have a President who o doesn’t have to hide e in a basement like his opponent,” Mr Trump ump added — in a jab at his rival, who has taken a far more cautious approach to campaigning.
It is not yet clear to what degree contracting COVID-19 confers immunity, with early studies suggesting a few months while newer ones have indicated it could last longer.
Twitter on Monday hid a tweet from Mr Trump in which he claimed immunity, saying the post violated its rules about misleading and potentially harmful misinformation.
Mr Trump, 74, was treated with Regeneron, an experimental antibody cocktail that may give immunity for just a few months when taken as a treatment rather than vaccine.
“In some cases, vaccines can last for decades. (But) if you get it in the form of natural immunity, that isn’t known yet,” Regeneron chief executive Leonard Schleifer said.
“If you get it in our vial, if you will, that’s probably going to last you for months,” he said.
Badly trailing Mr Biden in the opinion polls with just 23 days until the November 3 vote, Mr Trump (pictured) has been counting the days until he can hit the trail again.
The Republican leader rallied hundreds of supporters for a comeback event at the White House on Sunday (AEST), and is planning back-to-back rallies this week in Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa in a bid to salvage h his campaign.
Du During his phone inte t terview rv on Fox News, Mr Trump suggested tha that his White House riva rival could himself be sick sick.
“If you look at Joe, he was cou coughing yesterday horribly an and grabbing his mask, as he’s coughing,” Mr Trump said.
“I don’t know what that was all about, and it didn’t get much press.”
The Biden campaign has been publishing daily coronavirus test results for their 77year-old candidate since Mr Trump tested positive on October 1 — landing him in hospital for three nights and derailing his campaign.
There has been less transparency surrounding Mr Trump’s health, with his medical team repeatedly refusing to say when he last tested negative for the virus. That has fuelled suspicions that he may not have been tested for several days prior to his diagnosis. r M t
Democratic candidate Joe Biden leaves church on Sunday local time.
Picture: AFP