Donald Trump has confirmed that he and his wife, Melania Trump, have tested positive for COVID-19.
Last night (October 2), the President first tweeted that one of his top aides, Hope Hicks, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
He wrote to his 86.5 million Twitter followers:
"Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!"
Then, approximately two hours later, 74-year-old Trump confirmed that he and the First Lady, 50, had both tested positive and will continue quarantining:
"Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"
Melania has also taken to Twitter to share the news, writing to her 15.1 million followers:
"As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19.
"We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together."
Sean Conley, the physician to the president, has since written in a memo to the White House press secretary that both Donald and Melania Trump are well, and will be under a "vigilant watch" from medical professionals.
"The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence," Conley wrote, adding:
"The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions.
"Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments."
According to the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center, there has been 7,278,385 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, resulting in 207,808 deaths (as of this writing.