Most Americans have been ordered to stay home amid the coronavirus outbreak and one expert is encouraging President Donald Trump to do the same.
“Why would you have the president and vice president together frequently when one can infect the other?” Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former White House medical adviser, said. “The president should be basically on lockdown.”
Reiner explained how he does not believe the administration is taking the pandemic seriously as they continue to hold White House coronavirus press briefings almost every day.
Watch his comments below:
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former White House medical adviser, says UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's move to an intensive care unit a day after being hospitalized with coronavirus is a "cautionary tale."
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) April 7, 2020
Pres. Trump should be "on lockdown" to avoid contracting the virus, he adds. pic.twitter.com/IZfiLqWtnU
Reiner began the exchange by discussing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his recent transfer to the ICU as his coronavirus symptoms worsened, as IJR reported.
He called Johnson’s hospitalization an “ominous occurrence.”
Reiner later suggested testing those in the presence of Trump is a “great idea,” but the test “isn’t 100%” and each person coming into contact with the president would have to be tested on a daily basis.
He also pointed out Trump is at risk because of his age — 73 years old — if he contracts the coronavirus.
“For the sake of our leadership, there really needs to be very, very limited physical access to the president of the United States,” Reiner said.
The exchange pivoted to Trump’s promotion of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for use against the coronavirus — despite no hard evidence about the drug having an effect on the virus.
Reiner responded to Trump’s comment, “What do you have to lose?”
“What you have to lose is your life from the drug,” Reiner said.
He explained the number of questions the health care field is facing, including when to start using the drug, what the dosage is, and which patients should be given the drug.
Reiner closed the conversation reiterating the virus “is not going away in the next four weeks” and the best way to approach it is by knowing what is going to work in the long term.
