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University of Notre Dame President Reverend John Jenkins has tested positive for COVID-19, Paul J. Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, announced on Friday.
Rev. Jenkins has been self-quarantining since making a trip to the White House last weekend for the Supreme Court nomination of Notre Dame law professor Judge Amy Coney Barrett. He was seen without a mask at the event.
Others who attended the event who have since tested positive include President Donald Trump, his close personal assistant Hope Hicks, and First Lady Melania Trump.
“My symptoms are mild and I will continue work from home,” Jenkins said. “The positive test is a good reminder for me and perhaps for all of how vigilant we need to be.”
The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 7.31 million confirmed cases and 208,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
