Joe Biden and Wife Dr. Jill Biden Test Negative for Coronavirus Following Trump's Diagnosis

Former Vice President Joe Biden revealed that he and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, tested negative for [...]

By Libby Birk

Former Vice President Joe Biden revealed that he and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, tested negative for the coronavirus just hours after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive. The Bidens' negative test result comes three days after Biden and Trump shared a debate stage Tuesday night in their first meetup ahead of November's election. In a tweet shared Friday afternoon, Biden thanked everyone "for your messages of concern" and wrote that he hopes it "serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands."

Meanwhile, Trump announced that he and Melania Trump were quarantining. His official schedule for Friday was wiped clean aside from a phone call. The Trumps tested positive for COVID-19 after Hope Hicks, a top White House aide, tested positive. No one else in the family has tested positive at the publishing time. A White House official confirmed to the New York Daily News that the president was showing "mild," cold-like symptoms on Friday.

Neither man wore a mask on stage Tuesday night, nor did debate moderator Chris Wallace — though Trump and Biden's podiums were placed approximately 8 feet apart and they did not get close to one another. The CDC's guidance for social distancing is 6 feet. During the debate, Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask. "I don't wear face masks like him," Trump said of Biden. "Every time you see him he's got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away ... and he shows up with the biggest mask I've ever seen."

The test results mean that Biden will likely continue uninterrupted along his campaign trail. His scheduled trip for Michigan was fluid for much of Friday morning as campaign aides processed the news of Trump's diagnosis and determined Biden's next step. Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, left Washington Friday for Las Vegas, where she has an event later in the day. She was tested for COVID-19 on Thursday and her result came back negative.

Earlier Friday, Biden sent well-wishes to Donald and Melania Trump from himself and his wife. "Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family," he tweeted at the time.

NBC News obtained an email from Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon to staff assuring them that the campaign was taking every health precaution to protect Biden, Harris and their families. She also asked them not to post on social media about Trump's diagnosis without prior approval.

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