Coronavirus - 3rd October

Summary for Saturday, 3rd October

• President Trump is in hospital after being diagnosed with coronavirus
  
• The White House said the move was out of an "abundance of caution" and his doctor said he was "doing very well"
  
• Ex-adviser Kellyanne Conway, campaign manager Bill Stepien and two Republican senators - Mike Lee and Thom Tillis - all test positive
  
• Joe Biden, who debated the now Covid-positive US president on Tuesday, has tested negative
  
• First Lady Melania Trump also has the virus and is recuperating at the White House
  
• Trump, 74, has been criticised for playing down severity of virus and often spurning masks and social distancing
  
• In other news UK PM Boris Johnson said complacency was behind a spike in cases in the country
  
• More than 34 million cases have been confirmed globally with around 1.02 million deaths, Johns Hopkins University says
  

Welcome to those of you waking up in the UK. Here's a round-up of the night's developments surrounding Donald Trump.

• The president has been flown to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus
  
• The White House said he was "fatigued but in good spirits" and was taken to hospital as a precaution
  
• The presidential physician said Trump is not in need of supplemental oxygen and is being treated with remdesivir - an anti-viral medicine
  
• Trump has tweeted twice since entering hospital
  
• His first tweet was a video in which he thanked his supporters, while the second said he thought things were "going well"
  
• There are growing numbers of officials close to the president who have tested positive
  
• These include former presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway and two Republican senators - Mike Lee and Thom Tillis
  

Kim Jong-un sends letter to President Trump

Mr Kim sent the president a letter late on Friday wishing him well

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a letter to President Trump wishing him well, according to North Korean state media.
Mr Kim said he “sincerely hopes” the president and his wife will recover as soon as possible.
Mr Trump became the first serving US president to step into North Korea in 2019.

No transfer of power, White House says

White House communications director Alyssa Farah has said the president has not transferred his powers to Vice-President Mike Pence.
"The president is in charge," she said.
White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere added, “Absolutely not,” when asked if there would be a transfer, CNN reports.

Trump thanks supporters in Twitter video

Donald Trump, who has now arrived at hospital, has posted a video on Twitter thanking people for their "tremendous support".
It is the first time the president has posted on the platform since announcing he and his wife Melania tested positive for coronavirus.

Former President Barack Obama sends Trump family best wishes

Speaking during a virtual fundraiser, Mr Obama sent Mr and Mrs Trump his best wishes

Former President Barack Obama has extended his best wishes to the president during a virtual fundraiser.
Speaking about Mr Trump and First Lady Melania, he said: “Michelle and I are hopeful that they and others who have been affected by Covid-19 around the country are getting the care that they need, that they are going to be on the path to a speedy recovery.”
Mr Obama said it was important to remember even though there is a presidential campaign on, that “we’re all Americans and we’re all human beings and we want to make sure that everybody is healthy”.
He was speaking during a virtual fundraiser with vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Her debate with Vice-President Mike Pence scheduled for Wednesday is still expected to go ahead..

Twitter to suspend users who wish death on Trump

Twitter has said it will suspend users who wish death upon the president.
“Content that wishes, hopes or expresses a desire for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against an individual is against our rules,” Twitter said in a statement to Vice's Motherboard site.
The social media giant referred to an “abusive behaviour” rule that’s been in place since April.
On the other hand, Facebook's rules "distinguish between public figures and private individuals" and appear to allow people to wish death upon Trump so long as they do not tag him or "purposefully expose" him to "calls for death, serious disease, epidemic disease, or disability".

Brazilian President Bolsonaro wishes the president a 'rapid recovery'

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has wished President Trump a “rapid recovery”.
He shared the message on Facebook late on Friday.
“I wish for a rapid recovery for the president of the USA, Donald Trump, and the first lady Melania,” he said.
"With faith in God, they will soon recover and the work of managing the country and his re-election campaign will not be affected."
Mr Bolsonaro contracted coronavirus earlier this year. His case was mild with a few symptoms.

Biden campaign pulling negative ads on Trump

James Clayton - North America technology reporter


Joe Biden’s campaign has said they will pull all negative adverts about President Trump.
Our US partner, CBS, said his team were "in the process" of pulling such adverts and it would be for a "to-be-determined time".
Biden removing negative ads from Facebook is a bit of a moment.
It’s the surest sign yet that this election has now completely changed.
Some of the ads removed included claims that Trump has been “The worst President America has ever had”.
Biden spent $42m [£32m] last week on advertising. Nearly $6m was spent on Facebook.
It’s believed the decision was made this afternoon - before Trump’s hospitalisation was announced.
It’s likely we’ll now see the entire advertising and campaigning strategy fundamentally shift.
Biden is going to have a walk a line between seeming caring and conciliatory whilst still getting his messaging out.
That’s a difficult line to tread.

Trump campaign 'will not' take down negative Biden ads

A spokesman for the Trump campaign has said it will not be removing negative TV adverts about Joe Biden, the president's rival in next month's election.
It comes hours after Biden’s campaign said they would pull all negative adverts about Trump after the president tested positive for Covid-19 and was hospitalised.
"Joe Biden used his speech in Michigan today to attack the President repeatedly on Social Security, the economy, and job creation,” Tim Murtaugh told CNN.
“Now Biden wants credit for being magnanimous?”

Republican Senator Thom Tillis tests positive

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has tested positive for coronavirus.
Tillis, of North Carolina, is the latest high profile US politician to test positive for Covid-19.
He attended President Trump’s announcement of his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Saturday.

Who has Trump met this week and who's tested positive?

People who tested positive after attending Saturday's ceremony, circled from left to right: Senator Mike Lee, University of Notre Dame president John Jenkins, Melania Trump and President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump's coronavirus diagnosis comes after a busy week running his administration and campaigning ahead of the 3 November election, during which time he has interacted with many high-level officials.
The president announced positive test results for himself and his wife, Melania, in a tweet on Friday, at around 01:00 local time (5:00 GMT).
This followed a positive diagnosis for his close aide, Hope Hicks, who reportedly started feeling symptoms on Wednesday and tested positive the next day.
It takes five days on average from the moment a person is infected for symptoms to start showing, but it can be much longer, so the World Health Organization advises a 14-day isolation period.
The peak infectious period for the virus is the day before symptoms appear and the two days after, although a large proportion of people never show any symptoms at all. The White House says it has begun contact-tracing.
Here is a look at some of the people we know Trump has crossed paths with in the last week.

Bill and Hillary Clinton wish the Trumps a 'speedy recovery'

Hillary and Bill Clinton have wished President Trump and his wife a "speedy recovery" in separate tweets.
In 2016, Hillary was beaten by Trump in one of the most bitterly fought elections ever.

Hilary Clinton:
We wish the President and First Lady a speedy recovery, and hope for the safety of the White House staff, the Secret Service, and others putting their lives on the line. This pandemic has affected so many. We must continue to protect ourselves, our families, and communities.

Trump's former adviser Conway tests positive

Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to President Trump, has tested positive for coronavirus.
Conway said her symptoms were mild.
She is latest person to have attended the announcement of the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett last Saturday to test positive.
She resigned from her post as senior adviser to Trump in August, adding that she did so in order to focus on her children, giving them "less drama, more mama".
The announcement came hours after one of Conway's daughters, Claudia, 15, tweeted that her mother's job had "ruined [her] life"

Kellyanne Conway:
Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians. As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.

Two out of seven Republican senators test positive for Covid

Seven Republican senators sat in a row at last Saturday's White House event to announce Amy Coney Barrett as President Trump's Supreme Court nominee.
Two of them have so far tested positive for Covid-19.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah (at the far end of the row, in the blue tie) was not wearing a mask. In a video shared on social media he can be seen hugging other guests after the ceremony.
A few seats down, in the middle of the photo wearing the grey mask, is North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis. He also revealed on Friday that he had contracted the virus.
It is unknown when they caught it. Both men said they were feeling well and showing no symptoms.
Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to President Trump, has tested positive. She was sitting directly behind Melania Trump, who also tested positive.
The only other senator to provide the results of a new test by Friday evening was Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, sitting second from the left.
She did not wear a mask on this occasion - and she also travelled with Trump as one of his guests at this week's presidential debate. But she says her test came back negative.
It takes five days on average from the moment a person is infected for symptoms to start showing, but it can be much longer.

'Dangerous' to move forward with judge confirmation hearings

Peter Bowes - North America correspondent


This is a crisis that’s escalating by the hour.
With the news that another member of Trump’s inner circle, Kellyanne Conway, has tested positive, along with two Republican senators, there’s a growing realisation that a Covid cluster has penetrated the heart of US government.
Like Conway, Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina attended the White House event where the president announced his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Four other attendees are also known to have tested positive.
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, has said it would be "irresponsible and dangerous” to move forward with the judge’s confirmation hearings.
It would be another huge blow to the president if the proceedings were delayed, although the Senate leader Mitch McConnell has said they will continue with expanded use of remote hearings.

Trump campaign manager tests positive

Bill Stepien, Donald Trump's campaign manager, has become the latest official close to the president to test positive for Covid-19.
Stepien received his results on Friday evening and is experiencing “mild flu-like symptoms", Politico reports.
He will now reportedly work from home.

The latest from the UK

Here's a quick round-up of the headlines from around the UK:

• Faith groups are being invited to take part in a University College London study of how singing may spread coronavirus. Lasers will be used to detect and measure the droplets they produce while singing at different volumes
  
• Liverpool striker Sadio Mane has become the second of the team's players - after Thiago Alcantara three days earlier - to begin self-isolating after testing postiive for coronavirus. The club says he has minor symptoms
  
• Singer KT Tunstall has warned that the UK is on the verge of losing its status as a leader in live music as hundreds of venues face closure due to the pandemic
  
• The new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, has had its release date postponed for a second time to ensure it can open in cinemas worldwide. It's now being scheduled for April 2021, following an earlier delay from April this year to November
  
• And half of young people from poorer backgrounds say their goals in life now seem "impossible" to achieve, according to a survey from the Prince's Trust. The charity says Covid-19 has "magnified" the barriers young people face in getting work
  

China wishes Trump well

Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai has wished the US president and his wife a quick recovery. "My best wishes to President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS for a speedy and full recovery," he tweeted.
Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also expressed her sympathy: "Saddened to learn #President and the #FirstLady of the #US tested positive. Hope they both have a speedy recovery and will be fine."

New Zealand PM Ardern sends Trump best wishes

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sent her "best wishes for a speedy recovery" to Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
Speaking in Auckland, she said: "I stand with others in wishing all the best because this is obviously a virus that has globally had a devastating impact."

Huge hope but limited evidence for treatments given to president

James Gallagher - Health and science correspondent, BBC News
Donald Trump has been given two therapies that try to slow the virus’s assault on the body.
The combination of antibodies, designed by Regeneron, mimic our own immune response.
The antibodies physically stick to the coronavirus so they can’t get inside the body’s cells and they make the virus more “visible” to the rest of the immune system.
The approach makes scientific sense and there is huge hope it will be effective. However, the evidence in patients is still limited so this is considered an experimental drug.
Remdesivir works after the virus has infected one of the body’s cells. The drug disrupts the virus’s ability to make thousands of copies of itself and studies suggest this can shorten the course of an infection.
But it is unclear if either of these drugs are “life-saving”.
Covid becomes deadly when the body’s own immune system goes into overdrive and damages the body’s organs. This seems to happen in some patients around seven to 10 days into the infection.
It is at this stage that steroids, such as dexamethasone, work - and they remain the only drugs proven to save lives from Covid-19.

What is Regeneron’s antibody treatment?

Trump’s physician, Sean Conley, has said the president has been given the experimental antibody treatment from Regeneron. But what is it?
Prof Peter Horby, an Oxford University epidemiologist who chairs the UK's New and Emerging Respiratory Viral Threats Advisory Group, says it is a "cocktail of two antibodies".
The artificially produced anitbodies, which mimic the body's natural defence against viruses, are designed to bind strongly to a protein on the surface of the virus, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"It helps prevent the virus attaching to the cells, entering the cells and replicating. And it also helps our own immune system to attack and kill the virus," he says.
Horby says it's "one of the most promising" drugs to treat Covid-19, having a strong effect in laboratory cell cultures and in animal tests. It is, he adds, currently part of the UK's Recovery trial, which has previously shown the steroid dexamethasone is an effective treatment.
Regeneron's treatment is already available to patients in three hospitals in the north of England as part of the trial and is being extended to 30 or 40 more hospitals, Horby says.

Who met Trump and who's tested positive

Trump's coronavirus diagnosis came after a busy week running his administration and campaigning ahead of the 3 November election, a time in which he has interacted with many high-level officials.
The president announced positive test results for himself and his wife, Melania, in a tweet on Friday, at around 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT).
This followed a positive diagnosis for his close aide, Hope Hicks, who reportedly started feeling symptoms on Wednesday and tested positive the next day.


Since the president's diagnosis, several people close to his administration have tested positive, including his campaign manager.
Read on

One case out of 7.3 million

This week Trump joined more than 7.3 million Americans with coronavirus.
The US has been by far the worst hit country in the world, with more than 208,000 deaths, according to America's Johns Hopkins University.
New York was the epicentre of the pandemic earlier this year. The north-eastern US state has recorded more than 33,000 deaths, with over 461,000 cases.
But California, Florida and Texas have all now surpassed New York for total cases, although they have recorded fewer deaths.
On 1 October, Johns Hopkins identified North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Utah and Montana as the "highest-risk places", which all saw a spike in new daily cases.

More than a third of UK population now under stricter measures

After a ban on households mixing indoors came into force at midnight in Liverpool, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Warrington, more than a third of the UK population is living under heightened coronavirus restrictions.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said households were recommended not to mix socially at all but added that he wanted the restrictions to stay in place for "as short a time as possible".
People are also being asked not to attend sports events as spectators, to only visit care homes "in exceptional circumstances" and not to travel unless it is essential.
Matt Ashton, director of public health for Liverpool, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "our rate is really high" at 280 cases per 100,000 people and it "continues to increase".
He said cases had risen from 14 a week in July to 50 a week in August, before reaching 1,400 a week last month. The number of people being admitted to hospital had increased "tenfold", he said.
Meanwhile, Germany has issued a warning to its citizens against travelling to Scotland and northern England because of increases in infections.

'The UK's most expensive prison' - Edinburgh students on self-isolating

Across the UK, students are self-isolating in their accommodation after outbreaks at university, with the 770 confirmed cases at Northumbria University among the largest clusters of infections.
It's prompted protests from many students, including at Edinburgh University's Pollock Halls, a complex which holds 1,880 people. Social media accounts called pollockprisoner have dubbed it "the UK's most expensive prison".
A student, Eve, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that one block was "completely locked down" and students were only allowed to leave their rooms once during the self-isolation period to take out their bins and do washing.
She said meals were delivered haphazardly, sometimes with breakfast, lunch and dinner all arriving at 21:00, while pastoral care was "really quite shocking" as students faced waiting days for a response from the university.
Edinburgh vice-chancellor Prof Peter Mathieson said: "We’re very keen to listen to our students and to respond to their concerns."
He said that when they delivered over a thousand meals, they only received a handful of complaints. "The majority are satisfied," he said.
Mathieson said the university had no plans to refund tuition fees, which are over £9,000 ($11,600) a year for students from parts of the UK other than Scotland. "An Edinburgh degree will still be a fantastic investment for these students," he said.

Poland sees infection spike as UK quarantine bites

Adam Easton - Warsaw Correspondent
Poland has reported 2,367 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
The health ministry says 34 people died.
Saturday’s record beats the previous high set on Friday of 2,239.
Poland has seen daily increases above the 1,000 level since 24 September.
Since the start of the outbreak, Poland has had 98,140 cases and 2,604 deaths.
From Saturday, Poles travelling to the UK - not including goods drivers, seasonal agricultural workers and health workers - will have to self-isolate for 14 days.
This will also make life more difficult for the 900,000 Poles living in the UK.
Overall, 51 of Poland’s 380 districts now have increased restrictions, such as mandatory face mask wearing whilst outdoors.

Donald Trump has provided an update on his condition amid reports his coronavirus diagnosis had been described as “serious” and that he was struggling to breathe.
Jack Beresford - Irish Post
It had initially been reported that the President was suffering from “mild” Covid-19 symptoms after both he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus. 
However, he was subsequently moved to the Walter Reed Medical Centre in a move described as a precautionary measure by the White House. 
Trump was filmed walking across the White House Lawn wearing a mask to board a Marine One Helicopter. 
He also posted a video on Twitter telling followers he “thinks” he is “doing very well”.

“I want to thank everyone for the tremendous support,” he said. 
“I’m going to Walter Reed Hospital. I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out. 
“The First Lady is doing very well.  Thank you very much — I appreciate it. I will never forget it.”

However, an inside source later told CNN Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis is considered “serious”. 
The source went on to say that the President was “very tired, very fatigued” and was having trouble breathing. 
Despite this, Trump later took to Twitter to try and allay some of the fears over his condition. 
He wrote: “Going well, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!”
According to a letter from Donald Trump’s doctor, Sean Conley, the president is being treated with  Remdesivir, an anti-viral Ebola drug being used experimentally to treat COVID-19. 
“I am happy to report that the President is doing very well,” the letter said.
“He is not requiring any supplemental oxygen, but in consultation with specialists, we have elected to initiate Remdesivir therapy. 
“He has completed the first dose and is resting comfortably.” 
Trump is said to be continuing his presidential duties from his hospital bed.

From Cornwall to Brisbane, London Marathon runners gear up

As Americans wake up to news that their president has spent the night in hospital, let's look at other ways the global pandemic is marking our lives this weekend, in the UK and other countries.
Sunday's London Marathon will look worlds away from previous editions, the BBC's Alice Evans reports.
The UK's coronavirus lockdown forced a six-month delay to the race, which is normally run in April. Only a handful of runners, all elite, will be taking part on the official course around St James's Park in central London.
The 45,000 other participants will run or walk a marathon (26.2 miles, or 42km) at a time and place of their choosing on Sunday, logging their progress on an app to make their time official and secure a sought-after medal.
Gill Silverthorn said she had had a few odd looks from people while training for her race - which will take place along coastal paths and promenades around Penzance, Cornwall - wearing her 10kg rhino costume.
And in Brisbane, 10,000 miles (16,000km) away from the usual starting line in Greenwich, south-east London, Elizabeth Gallagher will begin her marathon at 3am UK time (midday for her).
Chris Finill, one of the "Ever Presents", a group of just 10 people who have run every London Marathon, will be running laps of Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey instead of the usual course for the 40th time.
The 61-year-old said: "It will be more meaningful to get to the finish on Sunday than it would be in a normal year because most people's journeys to get to the start line have been pretty difficult - let alone the race itself.
"So I think we'll all feel a particular sense of relief and satisfaction when we cross that finish line."

Elite athletes such as Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, pictured with his pacemakers, will run a course around St James's Park

Boris Johnson: Trump will 'come through it very well'

Boris Johnson said the president "will be having the best care he can possibly get"

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has no doubt that President Trump will "make a very strong recovery".
Speaking to reporters on a visit to a construction company to coincide with the start of the Conservative Party conference, he said that he rang the White House on Friday night.
“I think obviously everybody’s wishing him and Melania the very best and hoping that they recover speedily and I’ve no doubt that he will. He'll make a very strong recovery,” the prime minister said.
Asked if he had any advice for the president, Mr Johnson - who was admitted to intensive care in April after contracting Covid-19 - said: “I think that he will be doing exactly what the doctors tell him to do and I’m sure he will be having the best care he can possibly get.
“I’m sure he’ll come through it very well," the prime minister added.

Who tested positive after the Rose Garden event?

Last Saturday, President Trump announced his pick to be the next Supreme Court justice, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, in front of a crowd of about 200 people on the White House lawn.
Several people who attended the event in the Rose Garden have now tested positive for Covid-19. in addition to Donald and Melania Trump.
They are former White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who are both on the judiciary committee.
The president of the University of Notre Dame, John Jenkins, also attended and has tested positive. (Judge Coney Barrett is a graduate of Notre Dame.)
The White House Correspondents' Association said an unnamed reporter at the event had also tested positive with symptoms.
However, Judge Coney Barrett said on Friday that she had tested negative. Sources told US media she had the virus earlier this year.

What is the risk to Donald Trump's health?

James Gallagher - Health and science correspondent, BBC News
Donald Trump has clear risk factors - including his age, weight and being male - that all raise the chances of a severe coronavirus infection.
He is 74 and has a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30, which is the clinical definition of obesity.
At this point, Mr Trump has only "mild symptoms" and is being treated with drugs that slow the virus's assault on the body.
But age is a clear and strong link to developing a severe infection, leading to hospital treatment and in some cases death.
"But most people who get an infection also get better," Dr Bharat Pankhania, from the University of Exeter medical school told the BBC.
An early analysis of more than 100 studies, taking in data from around the world, showed the risk for children and young adults was tiny.
However, at age 75 it is estimated that one in 25 people who catch coronavirus dies. This rises to one in seven people aged over 85 and one in four over the age of 90.


A similar pattern has been seen by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Read more from James

What is remdesivir?

Data suggests the drug can cut the recovery time from Covid-19 by four days

As well as an experimental antibody treatment, President Trump is also being treated with the drug remdesivir. But what is it, and how well does it work?
Remdesivir is an anti-viral medicine developed by Gilead Sciences. It has previously been used to treat cases of the Ebola virus.
It's undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of Covid-19 in several countries, including the Recovery trial in the UK, thought to be the world's largest study of potential coronavirus treatments.
Early data suggests it can cut recovery time by about four days, but there is no evidence yet that it can save lives.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading US expert on infectious diseases, said a US trial showed the drug has a "clear-cut, significant, positive effect" in reducing the time needed to recover from the coronavirus.
Regulators in the UK, US and Japan have made urgent arrangements to make it available to some patients.


Limerick, Ireland, is in the global spotlight after it emerged that Donald Trump is being treated for coronavirus with an experimental drug manufactured by a biopharma company based in the city.
Jack Beresford - Irish Post
The US President is being treated with the pioneering Covid-19 antibody drug combination REGN-COV2 after testing positive for the deadly virus on Friday. 
The antibody drug has been manufactured by Regeneron, a biopharma company with offices in Limerick. 
According to a statement from the White House, President Trump was given “a single 8-gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail” intravenously before being flown to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Maryland. 
The treatment is undergoing clinical trials and is in late-stage testing but has yet to receive regulatory approval. 
However, while its safety and effectiveness are not yet known, REGN-COV2 is regarded as one of the most promising potential treatments for Covid-19. 
Regeneron agreed to supply a single dose to US President Donald Trump at the request of his doctor, citing “compassionate provisions”. 
If the treatment proves effective, then Limerick will end up having a crucial role to play in remedying the global coronavirus pandemic. 
Regeneron has already announced plans to create a further 400 jobs in Limerick as part of a concerted effort to maximise its manufacturing capacity. 
The Limerick labs will provide much-needed support to Regeneron’s New York facility as it continues work on its Covid-19 antibody drug combination REGN-COV2.

Spain imposes partial lockdown on Madrid
Damian Grammaticas - BBC News, Madrid
More than three million people in Madrid have had new restrictions imposed on their lives as Spain tries to control the most serious second wave of Covid-19 infections in Europe.
From this weekend, people can travel outside their home districts for essential journeys only.
Bars and restaurants cannot serve after 22:00. And a maximum of six people are permitted to meet in any setting.
The measures have been demanded by Spain's federal government.
They also take effect in nine towns around the capital.
Signs of the second wave of Covid-19 infections now breaking over Spain can be seen at the emergency admission unit of the 12 de Octubre hospital, one of the biggest in Madrid.
Every hour ambulances arrive with new patients.
Some of the sick are helped into wheelchairs; others, already needing oxygen, have to be stretchered in by medical staff wearing full protective gear.
A red warning signal indicating the seriousness of Spain's predicament is that, at many hospitals across Madrid, existing intensive care units (ICU) are again full with Covid-19 patients.
Read more here

Nepal hears warnings of doom over Covid curbs
Phanindra Dahal - BBC Nepali, Kathmandu
"God may punish Nepal for cancelling rites", religious leaders warn.
A number of religious leaders in Nepal have strongly criticised the government for scaling down festivals and centuries-old rituals because of coronavirus fears. The leaders warned that "divine anger" could lead the country into catastrophe.
Temples are closed and mass gatherings are prohibited following a lockdown since March.
Officials say it is unlikely restrictions will be lifted ahead of the major festivals of Dashain and Tihar, which fall during the months of October and November respectively.
Nepal, with its unique juxtaposition of Hindu and Buddhist culture and lifestyle, has seen few festivities during the pandemic.
Read more here

Stand by for an update on Trump's condition

The president's physician Dr Sean Conley is due to give an update from the Walter Reed military hospital where he is being treated at 11:00 Eastern Time (16:00 BST) - or any minute now.
It will be the first public update since Friday evening, when Dr Conley said "the president is doing very well".

Questions for Trump's doctors

With Trump's doctors due to give an update shortly, a well-known US cardiologist has weighed in with a few questions about his condition and treatment.
Jonathan Reiner is the longtime cardiologist to Bush-era Vice-President Dick Cheney, and co-authored a book with him about his heart condition.
His questions for Dr Sean Conley include wanting to know when the president last tested negative for Covid-19, and why an experimental drug was administered in the White House and not in the hospital, where more monitoring facilities were available.

  Jonathan Reiner:
Dr Sean Conley will do a press conf in a few mins. Here are some questions:
1. When was the last time the president tested negative?
2. What prompted the decision to administer an experimental phase 2 drug?
3. What is the lowest pulse Ox? 1/

Dr Reiner has previously speculated about Trump's health. In 2019 he told US media he was sceptical that a visit to the Walter Reed military hospital - where the president is currently being treated - could be described as "routine", which was the White House characterisation of the visit.

Trump and the virus: A day of turmoil in the White House
Tara McKelvey - BBC White House reporter


For months US President Donald Trump and his aides have regularly gone without masks, often appearing to behave as if there was no pandemic. Then the president tested positive, and their world changed. This is the story of a seismic day.
Early on Friday evening, it was peaceful at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, nine miles (14km) from the White House, and so quiet you could hear an acorn drop. But the mood was tense. Police tape was stretched from a tree to a basketball hoop, marking the landing zone for Marine One, the president's helicopter, and a dog sniffed for explosives. Donald Trump would arrive soon, and no-one knew quite what to expect.
A security official tried to tell his colleagues where they should stand for the arrival of the president's helicopter. The official admitted that his plan was a work in progress. "I don't think anyone knows what's going on," he said.
It was an accurate observation outside the hospital - and for much of the day at the White House, too.
The uncertainty began in the early morning hours, just before 01:00 in Washington, with the president's announcement on Twitter that he had tested positive. Afterwards, White House aides and staffers did their best to maintain a sense of normality in the midst of a chaotic environment, but the mood spiralled into something that looked a lot like chaos. There was anxiety, shouting and a few tears.
 HERE

Trump very well, his doctor says

President Donald Trump is doing "very well" after spending the night in a hospital, his physician Dr Sean Conley has said.

Trump doctor 'extremely happy with president's progress'

Trump's medical team is "extremely happy with the progress the president has made", says his personal doctor, Dr Sean Conley.
He was brought into hospital as a "precautionary measure", Dr Conley says.
The medical team say President Trump is not on oxygen or having difficulty breathing,
One of the doctors says Trump told him: "I feel like I could walk out of here today."
He has been fever-free for over 24 hours, the doctors say.

Trump not on oxygen, doctors say

President Trump has been receiving "outstanding multidisciplinary care", his doctors say.
They are "monitoring him very closely for any evidence of complications" but say he hasn't had any fever since Friday morning.
Trump isn't on oxygen at the moment. However, his doctors refused repeatedly to rule out that he had ever been on supplementary oxygen.
He's receiving both the drug Remdesivir and an experimental treatment. They tackle different aspects of the disease, the doctors say.
They say they are "maximising all aspects of his care" and "don't want to hold anything back".

Trump not on hydroxychloroquine, doctors say

President Trump asked about the drug hydroxychloroquine, but is not taking it at this time, his doctors say. Early in the pandemic, he touted the medicine as a treatment for coronavirus - a recommendation not borne out by medical research.
First Lady Melania Trump, who has also tested positive, remains at the White House and is not being treated at the Walter Reed military hospital.
She is "doing great", the doctors say, and is "convalescing at home".

Trump continuing to work from hospital - doctors

Despite his diagnosis, President Trump is continuing to work from hospital, his doctors say. The presidential suite at the Walter Reed hospital is equipped with an office.
"And the president this morning is not on oxygen, not having difficulty breathing or walking around the White House medical unit upstairs," Dr Sean Conley, Trump's personal doctor, told journalists.
The president is taking Remdesivir, which has been shown to shorten the recovery time from the coronavirus. He'll complete a five-day course of treatment, his doctors say.

'72 hours' reference raises questions at medical briefing

Starting the briefing, Mr Trump's personal doctor said they had decided to move the president to the hospital out of caution.
"Just 72 hours into the diagnosis now, the first week of Covid - in particular days seven to 10 - are the most critical in determining the likely course of this illness," Dr Sean Conley said.
But as BBC North American editor Jon Sopel pointed out on Twitter, Mr Trump only confirmed his positive test early on Friday morning - roughly 36 hours ago.

  Jon Sopel:
My big take out from that briefing - the physician talked about the last 72 hours. What? Confirmation only came yesterday morning from @realDonaldTrump - so did he have #coronavirus on Wednesday, and WH chose not to disclose it? Seems a fair question

 Jon Sopel:
During the 72 hour timeline given by physician, @realDonaldTrump held a press briefing with no mask, flew to Duluth for rally, went to Bedminster for a fund raiser where no one wore masks. If @WhiteHouse knew he was symptomatic/had #coronavirus isn’t that indefensible?

Ex-governor who helped Trump with debate has Covid-19

Chris Christie confirmed on Twitter he has tested positive for Covid

Former Republican governor of New Jersey Chris Christie - who was among several people to help Donald Trump prepare for Tuesday's debate against Joe Biden - says he has tested positive for Covid-19 and will receive medical attention.
Christie - who left the governorship in 2018 - said on Friday that he had no symptoms and felt "fine". An earlier test on Tuesday was negative, he said.
On Friday he told US media that no one had been wearing masks when he and others sat down with Trump to prepare for Tuesday's televised debate.
"No one was wearing masks in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time. And the group was about five or six people, in total," he said.
Those present reportedly include Trump, his aide Hope Hicks and his campaign manager Bill Stepien - who have all tested positive - as well as his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and adviser Stephen Miller.

So when did Trump know he had coronavirus?

Not many masks at Trump's Minnesota rally on Wednesday

There's some confusion about how long President Trump has known he had the virus, following the briefing by his doctors.
The president first tweeted late on Thursday night, saying he had tested positive. On Friday afternoon, he was flown to hospital.
However, his doctors said on Saturday that they were "72 hours into the diagnosis". That would mean a diagnosis on Wednesday, nearly 36 hours earlier than announced.
In that time, Mr Trump held a press briefing without wearing a mask. He flew to Minnesota on Wednesday for a rally with thousands of supporters on Wedneday night.
On Thursday, he was at his golf club in New Jersey for a fundraiser - again, with very few masks in evidence.
Eyes will be turning to the White House for clarification on the exact timeline here.

Trump condition was 'very concerning' - source

Several US media outlets are now quoting an unnamed source with knowledge of the president's health as saying that his vital signs were "very concerning" over the past 24 hours.
The source says the president is not yet on a path to recovery and the next 48 hours will be critical for him.
The assessment appears to contradict Trump's physician, who earlier said the president was doing "very well" and was not on oxygen or having difficulty breathing.
The source told a White House pool report: "The President's vitals over last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We are still not on a clear path to a full recovery."
In an intriguing bit of detail, White House reporters say an official gave them a note with the comment on it.
CNBC reporter Eamonn Javers says the source spoke to one or more reporters who decided the source was credible and passed the quote on to the wider White House press corps.

 Eamonn Javers: ... A source familiar with the President's health says on background:  "The President's vitals over last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We are still not on a clear path to a full recovery."

  Eamonn Javers:
To be clear for people who don’t know how this works: the source spoke to the press pool on condition of anonymity. Those reporters know the identity of this person. The reporters made a judgement that the person is reliable and passed comment along to the wider WH press corps.

White House has some explaining to do

Anthony Zurcher - BBC North America reporter
One would imagine the purpose of the White House medical team’s Saturday morning press conference was to reassure the public that the president is doing well and that the nation’s top medical experts are on top of the situation.
Instead, they created more confusion.
Sean Conley, the president’s physician, said Trump was diagnosed “72 hours ago” – which would be Wednesday morning. That’s before the president travelled to Minnesota for a campaign rally that night, before he flew to New Jersey for a fund-raiser on Thursday and more than 36 hours before the president revealed his coronavirus diagnosis to the world in a late-night tweet.
The timeline is further muddied by the revelation that the president was given an antiviral treatment sometime on Thursday – also before his announcement.
Conley tried to paint a positive picture of the president’s current medical condition, although he was evasive about whether Trump had ever been given oxygen to assist his breathing.
And then, just minutes after the press conference concluded, an official struck a very different tone, telling the gathered press “the president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care”.
The White House and the president’s medical team have some explaining to do. Either they misspoke about the timeline, or the president may have knowingly put more people at risk by travelling when he knew he might have Covid-19.
In situations like this, trust is an invaluable commodity – and with every misstep or misdirection, it can be squandered.

Trump 'was given oxygen at White House'

Several US media are now reporting that President Trump was given oxygen at the White House before he left for hospital.
The New York Times quotes two people as saying that Trump had trouble breathing on Friday and "his oxygen level dropped", leading doctors to give him supplemental oxygen.
AP news agency is also reporting that he was given oxygen at the White House, quoting a source.
At a briefing on Trump's condition earlier, his physician Dr Sean Conley said he wasn't on oxygen at the moment. But his doctors refused repeatedly to rule out that he had ever been on supplementary oxygen.

US Senate postpones some of its work

Senator McConnell announced the postponement on Saturday

The US Senate will postpone its work in full session until 19 October, Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said. Three senators have now tested positive for the coronavirus in the past few days.
However, Sen McConnell said the work of the Senate Judiciary Committee would continue. The committee will be examining the nomination to the Supreme Court of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a favourite with conservatives, who has raised alarm among progressives for her opposition to abortion rights.
Two of the infected senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both Republicans, are members of the committee.
The full Senate had been discussing a relief package of coronavirus aid to help Americans who've lost their jobs or are suffering economically during the pandemic. The postponement also means there'll be no agreement on measures until the second half of October at the earliest.

'I am feeling well!' - Trump tweets

The president has tweeted about his condition.
"Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them, are AMAZING!!!" the tweet on Mr Trump's page read.
"Tremendous progress has been made over the last 6 months in fighting this PLAGUE. With their help, I am feeling well!"

Can a presidential election be postponed, as Trump once asked?

Barbara Plett Usher - BBC News, Washington
Just a few months ago President Trump suggested that the election should be delayed, because of his false claim that postal voting would lead to massive fraud.
Now that he’s been infected by the coronavirus, that’s become a serious question: can a presidential election be postponed? The answer is that it can. But it would need both houses of Congress to change the law. And since they are controlled by different parties, such a scenario seems most unlikely.
But what if the president becomes incapacitated: could his name be removed from the ballot? That would also be very difficult, maybe impossible, because the ballots are already out and people have started voting.
However, in the United States the people do not directly choose the president. They vote for electors, who vote for the president – each state has the same number of electors as it has representatives in Congress. Theoretically, they could end up selecting the Republican ticket, even if Mr Trump’s name had to be withdrawn.
The more immediate question of course, is what happens to the campaign. The president has clearly been grounded. For now the plan is to send others to any in-person events, such as the vice president and members of Mr Trump’s family.

Covid 'nearly took the life of our prime minister' - UK's Raab

Earlier, UK PM Boris Johnson was asked by reporters if he had any advice for President Trump, having been treated for the virus in hospital himself in April. He said he was sure Trump would do "exactly what the doctors tell him to do".
Now Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has told the online Conservative Party conference just how concerned some of the prime minister's key allies were, as his condition worsened and he was admitted to intensive care.
“It nearly took the life of our prime minister, our friend as well as our leader," said Raab, who deputised for the PM during his illness.
The foreign secretary said he was "really worried we might lose him", adding that he was also concerned for Johnson's fiancée, then pregnant with his son, Wilfred.
But he added: "I always had faith that with the outstanding NHS care he received and his fighting spirit, he’d pull through.”
Johnson was admitted to hospital on 6 April. At the time, Downing St sought to play down the move as a "precautionary step". However, he was moved to intensive care the next day, formally transferring his powers to Raab.
Two days later Johnson left intensive care and was said to be in "extremely good spirits", but it was not until 26 April that he returned to work.
It was only much later that he admitted how badly the virus had affected him.

White House tries to clarify Trump illness timeline

The White House says Trump's doctor misspoke when he earlier said that the president was "72 hours" into his illness.
A White House official told reporters that Dr Sean Conley had meant to say that Trump was on "Day 3" of the infection, counting from Thursday evening.
Seventy-two hours would place the president's diagnosis on Wednesday morning - which as our North America reporter Anthony Zurcher points out, is before the president travelled to Minnesota for a campaign rally that night, before he flew to New Jersey for a fund-raiser on Thursday and more than 36 hours before the president revealed his diagnosis in a late-night tweet.
The White House also said that another member of Trump's medical team had meant to say that it was "Day 2" - not 48 hours - since the experimental drug Regeneron was administered to Trump.

  Anthony Zurcher:

:Left Quotes: The inevitable clean-up memo from the White House physician.

White House chief-of-staff appears to contradict earlier account

The Associated Press news agency named Mark Meadows as the unnamed source

Earlier, we reported an unnamed source with knowledge of the president's health saying his vital signs were "very concerning" over the past 24 hours.
This person added that the next 48 hours would be critical for Mr Trump, and that he was not yet on the path to recovery.
Now the Associated Press has named the source as White House Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows.
But in the last few minutes, Meadows has cast the president's condition in a different light, telling reporters that he is "doing very well" and that he had met with him on "multiple occasions" today, according to Reuters news agency.
"He is up and about and asking for documents to review," Meadows reportedly said, adding that doctors were "very pleased" with his vital signs.

Pence to hold Arizona campaign event

On Friday, the Trump campaign suspended all in-person campaign events involving the president or his family.
However Vice-President Mike Pence - who has tested negative - will continue working the campaign trail.
Following Wednesday's debate with Democratic counterpart, California Senator Kamala Harris, he will on Thursday host an in-person "Make America Great Again" event in Peoria, Arizona, the campaign said.
The event is understood to be open to the public and there is reportedly no indication that the crowd will be socially distanced.
The campaign will be handing out face masks and encouraging supporters to wear them, spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said in an emailed statement. Those attending will also receive temperature checks.
It comes after the president was forced to postpone two Arizona events, in Tucson and Flagstaff, early next week after testing positive for Covid-19.

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Trump tweets video from hospital

In a video posted on social media in the last half an hour, Donald Trump has thanked healthcare workers for attending to him and said the next few days will be the "real test" for him.
"I came here, wasn't feeling so well, I feel much better now. They're working hard to get me all the way back," he said, sitting behind an office desk. The president was taken to the Walter Reed hospital on Friday.