American Democratic Party presidential candidate, Joseph Biden, and his wife, Jill, have tested negative for the coronavirus, their doctor said Friday, just hours after President Trump revealed that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive.
“I’m happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for COVID,” Mr. Biden wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern. I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”
Biden planned to go ahead with a planned campaign trip to Michigan on Friday, though he had not left Delaware by early afternoon and the timing of his first appearance in Michigan was uncertain.
Biden’s test result was disclosed in a statement from his primary care physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, that was distributed by the campaign. Mr. Biden appeared on the debate stage with Mr. Trump on Tuesday night, though the two stood far apart.
It can take several days after exposure for the virus to reach levels that are detectable by a test. People show symptoms on average around five days after exposure, but as late as 14 days.
Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, also tested negative on Friday, the campaign said. Ms. Harris and Mr. Emhoff were continuing with planned campaign trips to Nevada and North Carolina, respectively.
Earlier Friday, Biden wrote on Twitter that he and his wife “send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery.”
“We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” he added.
News of Trump’s test comes after Biden — after months of limited travel amid the pandemic — had returned to the campaign trail. A train trip through eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania on Wednesday was his most vigorous day of campaigning in months. On Thursday, his campaign said it would resume in-person canvassing in battleground states.
In a note sent to staff Friday morning, Biden’s campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, asked the team to “refrain from posting about the situation on social media unless otherwise directed by your manager,” and promised that “the health and safety of the entire team has been, and will remain, our number one priority.”
In late August, the Biden campaign said Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris would be tested regularly, and that staff members who interacted with them would also be tested regularly. The campaign said it would announce publicly if Mr. Biden or Ms. Harris ever tested positive.
