Fauci has ‘high degree of confidence’ Trump no longer shedding coronavirus

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said that after a review of President Trump’s most recent coronavirus test, he is confident that the president is “not shedding infectious virus.” 

Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this month and was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he received several treatments for the disease, including a potent steroid and the antiviral medication remdesivir. 

White House physician Sean Conley wrote in a memo released Monday that the president had tested negative for the virus after an antigen test. 

In a statement released by NBC News on Wednesday, the news outlet said that it had obtained word from Clifford Lane, clinical director of the National Institutes of Health, that Fauci had reviewed the president’s recent medical data. 

“NBC News has been given a statement by Dr. Clifford Lane, Clinical Director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), indicating that he and Dr. Anthony Fauci have reviewed the president’s recent medical data, including a PCR test collected and analyzed by NIH on Oct. 13, and have concluded ‘with a high degree of confidence’ that the president is ‘not shedding infectious virus,’” the statement read. 

The news outlet shared the analysis from Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease as part of its announcement that the president would participate in a town hall event hosted by NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie. 

The event will compete with a town hall held with Democratic nominee Joe Biden on ABC. Both events come in place of a second presidential debate that was scrapped after the president objected to a virtual format because of concerns surrounding his COVID-19 diagnosis. 

Trump and Fauci have butted heads in recent days after the Trump campaign used a clip of the public health expert in a political ad. in the clip, Fauci praises the federal government’s response to the virus. 

Fauci on Tuesday told the Daily Beast that the Trump campaign is “harassing” him by including him in the ad without his permission. 

“Since campaign ads are about getting votes, their harassment of me might have the opposite effect of turning some voters off,” he said. 

The president jabbed at the doctor in a Monday tweet, contending that “Tony’s pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications,” referring to Fauci’s first pitch — which went awry of the catcher — at the Washington Nationals game earlier this year. 

“‘No problem, no masks.’ WHO no longer likes Lockdowns – just came out against. Trump was right. We saved 2,000,000 USA lives!!!,” the president continued. 

Actually, Tony’s pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications. “No problem, no masks”. WHO no longer likes Lockdowns – just came out against. Trump was right. We saved 2,000,000 USA lives!!! https://t.co/YyLyCsbZ7a

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2020

Fauci’s analysis of Trump’s COVID-19 test also comes as Trump administration officials have offered vague answers to questions regarding the president’s health. For some time before Conley announced Trump’s negative coronavirus test, White House officials refused to answer when Trump had last tested negative for the virus.