Trump refuses to confirm he has tested negative for covid ahead of White House rally

10 October 2020, 07:30

Donald Trump has given details about his recovery from coronavirus but failed to say if he's tested negative
Donald Trump has given details about his recovery from coronavirus but failed to say if he's tested negative. Picture: PA

By Asher McShane

Donald Trump has failed to confirm that he has tested negative for coronavirus since becoming infected last week.

The US president said he feels "really, really strong" in an interview with Fox News, but said that but did not confirm that he has tested negative for the virus.

Mr Trump said he had been taken off steroid Dexamethasone. "I tolerated it very well, he said.

"I don't take it anymore. It was pretty short term."

Read more: Second presidential debate called off

"Right now I'm medication free, I'm not taking any medications as of eight hours ago. Which frankly makes me feel good, I don't like medication."

He was asked a second time what medications he was on, and said: "I think pretty much nothing.'

The president said he would be retested for Covid on Friday ahead of a planned event on the White House lawn on Saturday.

"I have been retested. I haven't even found out numbers or anything yet," he said.

"I know I'm either at the bottom of the scale or free."

Mr Trump was also asked what tests he had undergone during the recovery process.

"They tested the lungs,' Trump said. "They have incredible equipment at Walter Reed.

"In fact they said, 'No, you can leave your jacket on.' I said, 'I'll take it off anyway, if you want.''

"Initially it had some congestion in there but ultimately it tested good and with each day it got better."

The president was asked how he felt while infected: "I didn't feel strong, didn't feel really strong. I didn't have a problem with breathing, which a lot of people have, I didn't have a problem with that," Trump said.

"But I didn't feel very strong, I didn't feel very vital like the President of the United States should feel," he went on.

Trump said he did not know where he had contracted the virus, adding: "It's highly contagious. That's one thing you learn, this is a contagious disease."

Last night the second planned debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was called off, not long after the presdient refused to take part because organisers said it would be held virtually.