Coronavirus smoke and mirrors

WHY hop into an armoured car and cruise up and down the street waving at supporters when you have had trouble breathing and you may yet experience the worst of Covid19’s effects?

Is it a feeling of impatience that has been growing in United States President Donald Trump’s fevered brain over the past few days when it comes to the virus? Is it sheer paranoia on his behalf that, hidden from public view in hospital — although still very much in the news limelight — since late last week, his supporters may forget him?

Or is it just another example of the way his administration has played fast and loose with the coronavirus during the past six months, each act outdoing the previous one in terms of sheer irresponsibility?

We should probably be grateful the joyriding, masked president didn’t instruct his driver to execute some drifts or handbrake turns outside the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, manoeuvres most of his placardwaving Make America Great Again supporters there would probably have appreciated.

It will be difficult for many to have too much compassion for the sick President Trump when more than 200,000 Americans have died from Covid19.

Why be sympathetic, given the outrageous remarks he has made about the virus in recent months — the snakeoil salesman pseudoscience he has created and also proliferated — and the blatant flouting of the best medical advice when it comes to maskwearing, physical distancing and lockdowns?

While the Schadenfreude many are revelling in at the president’s positive diagnosis is understandable, Covid19 is not something we should wish on anyone.

But among the long list of questions swirling around the commanderinchief’s incapacitation, one deserves careful pondering and hopefully an optimistic outcome: If he recovers, will he be a better person for it?

This president, who appears totally incapable of knowing the difference between honesty and deceitfulness, has long been a sitting duck for picking up the virus. It seems incredible he has gone so long, and had quite a few brushes with it, without contracting it.

The cavalier behaviour of his entourage at last week’s cringeinducing presidential debate sums up everything you need to know about his camp’s attitude to the coronavirus. Not only did his family members remove their masks and refuse replacements when they sat in the studio, but the president aimed several illadvised wisecracks at Democrat Joe Biden for his maskwearing perspicacity.

Another crucial question which still needs answering is: When was he first diagnosed with Covid19? The answer to that one, which is unlikely to be eagerly released by the White House, is critical to understanding just how many others he may have knowingly or otherwise passed it on to.

To say the messages on President Trump’s true condition coming from his administration are mixed is an extreme understatement. Similarly, those from his scarylooking whitelabcoated medical team, led by White House physician Dr Sean Conley, also seem like they need swallowing with — no, not bleach — a tonne of salt.

So how are you supposed to know if what is coming out of the White House is true or a lie? You’re not. That’s exactly the point.

According to the BBC’s analysis, since the president tweeted early last Friday (Washington time) that he had Covid19, there have been “four written statements, one written clarification, two oncamera briefings, three presidential videos, one presidential driveby, [and] endless anonymous quotes”.

Answers on whether the president needed to be given oxygen were obfuscated, the smokeandmirrors approach later explained by Dr Conley as being because they wanted to be upbeat about his condition.

Whichever way it goes for President Trump over the next few days, it would be nice to think, if he recovers fully, he emerges a different man, one with empathy, one who actually cares about others.

Is that too much to ask?