Virginia's governor says he's developed mild COVID symptoms
Virginia’s governor says he’s developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus a little less than two weeks after he and the first lady tested positive
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Virginia s governor said he has developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus a little less than two weeks after he and the state's first lady tested positive.
Ralph Northam said Monday that he had "a little bit of cold-like symptoms over the weekend” and had lost his sense of taste and smell, The Washington Post reported.
The Democratic governor said other than that, he felt fine. Northam, 61, said he learned on Sept. 25 that he and first lady Pam Northam had tested positive for COVID-19.
Northam, who is a physician, said he was alarmed that President Donald Trump was playing down the severity of the virus even after the president himself tested positive for it last week.
In a tweet Monday, Trump told the American people: "Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
Northam said Trump sent the wrong message. The governor pointed out that more than 200,000 Americans have died and more than 7 million people across the globe have been infected.
“It’s irresponsible to make a statement like that,” Northam said.
Northam is a former military doctor who served on the staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He noted that Trump “has access to the best medical care, medications, treatments other people don’t have access to.”