Here are some key points from the CDC’s current recommendations for duration of isolation and precautions following COVID-19 infection:
Available data indicate that persons with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset.
Persons with more severe to critical illness or severe immunocompromise likely remain infectious no longer than 20 days after symptom onset.
Recovered persons can continue to shed detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in upper respiratory specimens for up to 3 months after illness onset, albeit at concentrations considerably lower than during illness, in ranges where replication-competent virus has not been reliably recovered and infectiousness is unlikely.
The first debate occurred September 29th. The onset of Trump’s symptoms were reportedly the following day, prior to his rally in Minnesota featuring few masks and little physical distancing. (Feeling sick in the midst of a pandemic and of course he held the rally anyway.) He was hospitalized with lung complications of COVID-19 and given all of the “big gun” treatments, which certainly puts him in the category of “more severe illness” that I bolded above. He is also immunocompramised to some degree from the dexamethasone treatment he is receiving. So based on the above guidelines from CDC, he could be infectious through October 19th. The 2nd debate is scheduled for October 15th. Cancel it.
The Trump inner circle now has 13 cases of COVID-19, with that number likely to grow over the coming days and weeks. The Trump team has shown no signs of extending basic respect or decency, much less following minimal public health standards, in their interactions with the Biden team or the American people since Trump clearly exposed Biden to COVID-19 at the first debate. Trump’s family refused to follow the rules and wear masks at that debate.
Trump and his lackeys absolutely cannot be trusted. They exposed secret service agents in close proximity in a car for political purposes a couple of days ago. They wouldn’t think twice about exposing Joe Biden again.
So if another debate is to occur before the election, it needs to be 100% on Joe Biden’s terms. I think that means cancelling the October 15th debate and having the October 22nd debate delayed by several days. That debate needs to have total physical separation between the Biden team and the Trump team. They should be placed in separate studios at different locations, with the live mic alternating between the two candidates so it is easy for the audience to hear each candidate speaking in this unique set up. No audible interrupting from Trump. He will look clownish flapping his mouth while the audience hears only Biden’s mic when it is Biden’s turn to speak.
In the scientific polls, Biden won the first debate. He has an 8.1% polling lead in the 538 national polling average trending in the right direction. He is leading in the polling averages in enough states to get him well over 270 electoral votes. Trump’s COVID-19 hospitalization appears to be producing no “sympathy bounce” and in fact the public knows he has not taken the pandemic seriously. From Politico:
a POLITICO/Morning Consult flash poll found that 6 in 10 voters believe the president did not take the proper precautions to protect himself from infection.
Because Trump and his inner circle are a bunch of super-spreaders who openly defy and mock the basics of COVID-19 transmission reduction, and Biden holds all of the political advantages, team Biden sets the conditions for any future debate. No negotiation. Period.