In case you missed it, Donald Trump tweeted this afternoon that he will be returning to the White House after multiple days in the hospital battling COVID-19. He will continue to receive treatment for the disease, which is caused by the novel coronavirus, at his residence.
His own chief of staff, Mark Meadows, told press that his COVID symptoms were "very concerning." And Trump's doctor — after initially dodging the issue in a press conference — admitted yesterday that the POTUS needed to be put on oxygen. His doctor also revealed that Trump has been given dexamethasone, which, according to the World Health Organization, is recommended for patients “with severe and critical COVID-19."
After being flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in a helicopter, attended to by a team of doctors for several days, and being provided with an array of experimental, costly drugs, Trump tweeted that he's now planning to leave the hospital.
And in his message, he controversially told his followers "don't be afraid of COVID" and attempted to downplay the severity of the virus that has killed 210,000+ Americans under his watch.
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!
This message did not sit right with many Americans — including Captain America himself, Chris Evans, who took to Twitter to share his thoughts.
"Don’t be afraid of Covid?!" the actor wrote. "You’ve been under round-the-clock care by the best doctors using the best drugs. Do you really think everyone has access to that?!"
Don’t be afraid of Covid?! You’ve been under round-the-clock care by the best doctors using the best drugs. Do you really think everyone has access to that?! Sadly, I’m sure you’re aware of that disparity, you just don’t care This is reckless to a shocking degree, even for you https://t.co/H8CGlD9DcZ
"Sadly, I’m sure you’re aware of that disparity, you just don’t care," he added. "This is reckless to a shocking degree, even for you."
Chris's response has garnered lots of likes, retweets, and replies on Twitter, including some from those who've lost a loved one to the virus:
@ChrisEvans I’m crying while typing. My dad passed away from COVID. His tweet is one of the most offensive things I’ve seen. He’s mocking the 210,000+ who have died - mostly alone. My dad didn’t want COVID to dominate his life either
And those who've experienced the virus firsthand:
@ChrisEvans Be afraid to catch Covid. It's horrible. Our whole body suffers. Especially the psychological. take care of you and your family... please...please 😭
And those who work every day to prevent others from dying of COVID-19:
@ChrisEvans I work for the nhs in Scotland and this drives me insane this is a serious illness and telling people it’s ok and not to be scared is beyond incomprehensible this is killing people and every day. No wonder people loose hope these days
So, word to the wise: Unless you have a private helicopter, unlimited free healthcare, access to experimental drugs, and a team of a dozen doctors focused solely on keeping you alive, you should probably take COVID seriously.
