On Oct. 2, in the early hours of the morning, President Donald Trump tweeted that he and first lady Melania Trump both tested positive for COVID-19 and would begin quarantining immediately.

Since then, there has been a flurry of announcements of different White House officials testing positive for COVID-19, as well as multiple updates on the treatments that Trump has received.

While it has not been confirmed where Trump could have caught the virus, it is worthy to note that Hope Hicks, counselor to the president, also tested positive after being around Trump during a fundraiser. Trump also tweeted this information before revealing his own diagnosis. 

Trump has been treated for the virus at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Oct. 2, but briefly left the hospital on Oct. 4 to ride in a vehicle and greet supporters who were gathered outside. On Oct. 5 he officially left the hospital and returned to the White House.

As of Oct. 7, there has been no information released as to what precautions are being taken in the White House to protect the people who work there. “I wish I could go into that more, but I just can’t,” Trump’s doctor Sean Conley said. 

Many believe that Trump is severely at risk for the effects of COVID-19, due to his age and physical state. Trump has also been lax about mask usage, one of the main ways to prevent the spread of the virus.

“When needed, I wear masks. I don’t wear a mask like [Joe Biden]. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen,” Trump said during the first presidential debate on Sept. 29, just days before he tested positive.

Since announcing his test results, many White House and government officials have tested positive. Some of the people on the list include press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, White House advisor Stephen Miller, campaign manager Bill Stepien, and former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, whose test results were announced on TikTok by her daughter Claudia. 

Many people have expressed outrage about how Trump has been handling the severity of the situation. 

“As Americans we deserve the utmost transparency; in this case the public is left with no facts of when the president last tested negative for Covid, who he got it from and any accountability of contact tracing. It’s not only irresponsible behavior, but consistently puts the life of staff in the White House and their families at risk,” said senior communication major A.J. Valverde. 

With the next debate on Oct. 15, presidential nominee Joe Biden has said that it should not take place if Trump is still infected with the virus. 

“Well, I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn’t have a debate. I think we’re gonna have to follow very strict guidelines. Too many people have been infected and it’s a very serious problem,” said Biden. 

Trump’s running mate Mike Pence has since tested negative for the virus, leaving him available to debate vice president nominee Kamala Harris on Oct. 7.