President Donald Trump expressed fear of getting COVID after his Health and Human Service Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. sneezed near him in the Oval Office.
The president was gathering with his top health officials and Pfizer executives to announce a new deal when the exchange took place.
Kennedy could be heard sneezing as he stood just behind the president as Trump spoke.
“God bless you, Bobby,” the president said turning to look at him over his shoulder him.
“I hope I didn’t catch COVID just there,” Trump added, prompting the round of laughter.
That’s when the president turned to the CEO of Pfizer and suggested he should take the medication used to treat mild to moderate COVID cases.
”Don’t you have Paxlovid?“ Trump asked. ”He’s got Paxlovid. Give me a Paxlovid immediately!”
Trump at 79 and the oldest person ever to take the presidential oath of office has long had a document history of being germaphobic.
But his COVID comment also came as there are pressing questions about the president’s current health, as he has repeatedly covered up bruising on his hand with makeup. The cover-up was back on Tuesday during his Oval Office appearance.
The White House has claimed the repeated bruising is from excessive handshaking and the use of aspirin, but some health experts have expressed skepticism that it could cause the deep purple bruising that has shown up almost monthly since he returned to office.
The exchange over COVID also harkened back to the president’s first term when he was rushed to Walter Reed hospital after contracting COVID at the height of the pandemic.
The president was joined by the CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla in the Oval Office on Tuesday to announce a deal where Pfizer will sell many of its products to Medicaid at lower prices.
It came after the president demanded pharmaceutical companies lower the cost of prescription drugs.
While the deal was announced, many details remain unclear, including exactly which drugs would be included at lower costs for Medicaid. Officials indicated that it would be most of the medicines Pfizer manufactures.
The company, however, has not agreed to lower costs paid by other government programs like Medicare.
At the event, Trump’s health officials announced the launch of a new website where Americans can also buy drugs directly from manufacturers.
The website, like many initiatives in the current administration, is named for the president: TrumpRx.
The website is not yet live, but according to officials, it will include drugs from many major companies.
The post Trump, 79, Frets About COVID After RFK Jr. Sneezes on Him appeared first on The Daily Beast.
