As news of President Trump’s positive test reverberates throughout the world, it’s now a race to contact trace at the highest levels of the United States government.
But the truly unprecedented situation leaves security and health officials looking for a place to start.
"Now that’s a tough question," said Dr. George Rutherford, Director of Prevention and Public Health Group at University of California, San Francisco. "Obviously, the president comes into contact with lots of people and is known not to wear masks, so there are going to be a lot of contacts to find."
Dr. Rutherford said "hopefully" Thursday night’s positive test came on the first day you can test positive for the coronavirus, "which is about day three" after initial exposure.
The president is reportedly experiencing "mild" and "minor" symptoms.
"You turn positive a couple of days before you develop symptoms, but then become very infectious about a day before you develop symptoms to a few days afterwards," he added.
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Hope Hicks, top aide to President Trump, was the first of the president’s inner circle to test positive Thursday afternoon. She’s said to have been experiencing symptoms from the virus as early as Tuesday night on her way home from the first presidential debate, meaning it’s possible many people aboard Air Force One were exposed.
"That’s where you start with the contact tracing, figure that she is the index case and then work out from there," Dr. Rutherford explained. "The Secret Service is going to keep track of all these people who were in contact with him. That’s the good part."
So, what happens next?
"He’s going to enter a critical period here in the next day or two where you can either progress or not progress, and if you progress…you’re going to develop greater respiratory symptoms and it could lead to respiratory failure at its worst," Dr. Rutherford said.
He pointed to the president’s age and weight as concerning factors in his recovery. However, the White House also employs some of the most skilled physicians anywhere in the world.
Several people around the president and First Lady Melania Trump have tested negative, including his son, Barron, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.