White House physician said Trump actually doesn't need to get tested for the coronavirus

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The flip flopping continues.

Despite President Trump saying Friday he planned to get tested for the novel COVID-19 coronavirus, White House physician Sean Conley hours later said the action isn't necessary.

Trump, within the last week, had two interactions with individuals who tested positive for the virus — he shook hands with Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and he also shared a table with another person at his Mar-a-Lago resort. But Conley said both instances were "low risk" because neither person was exhibiting symptoms at the time. He added that because Trump himself is without symptoms, testing or quarantine are not recommended.

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Other doctors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, have urged those who have close contact with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 to get tested, and Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced earlier this week they would self-quarantine because of potential contact with Wajngarten. Read more at NBC News and The New York Times.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.