President Donald Trump on Sunday pitched what he called his post-infection immunity to Covid-19 as an advantage over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Twitter, though, took issue with a Trump post on the subject, flagging it as a rules violation for spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19.
Trump tweeted that after a total and complete sign-off from White House doctors late Saturday, it’s very nice to know that he can’t get or give the virus.
Earlier, in a lengthy interview on Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures, Trump said that, “Once you do recover, you’re immune, so you don’t have a president who has to hide in his basement,” like his opponent, in a dig at Biden.
“It looks like I’m immune for, I don’t know, maybe a long time, maybe a short time, it could be a lifetime, nobody really knows — but I’m immune,” Trump said, adding that he had a protective glow.
Voter concern
The Centers for Disease Control said in September that it has limited information about reinfections with the virus that causes Covid-19. It said there were no confirmed reports of reinfection within three months of initial infection, suggesting that recovery from the novel coronavirus may be like other similar diseases that offer some level of immunity.
Sunday’s effort was the latest by the president to spin his bout with the virus — which has killed over 2,14,000 Americans — as a political advantage. During his hospitalisation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump argued his treatment was like going to school to learn about the disease. His allies argued it would help him better communicate to those impacted by the virus.
But polls suggest that the infection of the President, First Lady, and more than two dozen close associates in recent weeks has only reinforced concerns among voters who disapproved of the president’s handling of the virus.
Trump official says vaccine expected starting in January
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday showed the former vice-president with a 54-42 per cent lead over Trump among likely voters, with just 41 per cent of those surveyed giving the president positive marks for his handling of the outbreak.
Trump has announced an aggressive return to the campaign trail following his convalescence, beginning with a rally Monday night in Orlando, Florida. He’s expected to visit Pennsylvania on Tuesday and Iowa on Wednesday for campaign events.