MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Doctors here in the Mid-South hope news the President and First Lady have tested positive for COVID-19 is a wake-up call for everyone to take the virus more seriously.
Mississippi governor Tate Reeves and Tennessee governor Bill Lee both took to Twitter to say they are praying for the President and First Lady.
Tennessee congressman Steve Cohen said in a statement he hopes the President and the First Lady “have only mild cases from exposure and remain safe from this dreaded virus…”
Baptist’s infectious disease specialist Dr. Stephen Threlkeld says this matter should be a reminder to everyone that anyone can fall victim to COVID-19.
“Anybody can get this. Even people who are fairly, highly protected,” Threlkeld said. “All it takes is one kind of false move in terms of allowing yourself to have someone to near you who has the virus.”
Due to President Trump’s age– 74 — he is considered at high-risk for complications.
As of right now, White House officials say he is displaying mild symptoms.
“Someone in his age group, fairly healthy, overweight and in the 70s. They are those who attribute something in the 5 % mortality rate,” Threlkeld said.
Threlkeld says it’s important now more than ever for people to continue practicing the necessary safety precautions to prevent the virus from spreading, especially with more businesses reopening.
“We have 56 people right now today in our hospital with COVID-19,” Threlkeld said. “The good news is that we had 110 once upon a time a few weeks ago, but the bad news is that we have 56 people in our hospital with COVID right now.”
Threlkeld encourages people to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing.
President Trump’s physician, Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, has said Trump received a dose of an experimental antibody cocktail by Regeneron that is currently in clinical trials. Some of those clinical trials are taking place at the University of Tennessee Health Center and Regional One Medical Center in Memphis.
