Melania Trump won’t attend campaign rally due to ‘lingering cough’ after COVID-19 diagnosis
First Lady Melania Trump won’t hit the campaign trail with her husband as planned Tuesday night because of “lingering" COVID-19 symptoms, according to an aide.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff, said her boss has continued to “feel better” since she and President Trump tested positive for the virus on Oct. 1.
“But with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today," Grisham said.
Melania, 50, hasn’t attended a Trump campaign rally for over a year and the Tuesday night event in Eerie, Pa., had been billed as a return to the trail for the reclusive first lady.
The first lady hasn’t been seen in public since she was diagnosed with the virus over two weeks ago.
The White House has maintained that she only experienced mild COVID-19 symptoms.
COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms only need to quarantine for 10 days, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tuesday marked Melania Trump’s 19th day in quarantine at the White House.
Contrary to his wife, President Trump did not take CDC guidelines particularly seriously.
The 74-year-old president resumed in-person campaigning on Oct. 12 — just 11 days after he was diagnosed — even though he suffered severe COVID-19 symptoms. The CDC says patients with severe symptoms should quarantine for “up to 20 days” as they can remain contagious for a longer period of time.
