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Barron Trump tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after his parents revealed they had been infected with the virus, first lady Melania Trump announced Wednesday.
President Donald Trump and the first lady announced they had tested positive for the virus on Oct. 1. The next day, the president was flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was tended by a team of doctors for three days.
"Naturally, my mind went immediately to our son," the first lady said in a statement released Wednesday. "To our great relief he tested negative, but again, as so many parents have thought over the past months, I couldn't help but think 'what about tomorrow or the next day?' My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive."
Melania said Barron, 14, exhibited no symptoms during his infection and has since tested negative, although no date was given as to when the test was conducted.
"In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together," the statement added.
The infections among members of the first family came after the president for months took on a cavalier and dismissive tone against measures recommended by his own CDC on how to prevent and slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
The president held large indoor rallies and mocked his election rival, Joe Biden, for wearing a mask. He has also refused to regularly wear a mask and did not do so publicly until months into the pandemic.
Just days before news of the president's positive test result, the White House held a gathering to announce the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, an event where people sat shoulder to shoulder and few wore masks. The event is now believed to be a possible super-spreader event.
In her statement, the first lady said she herself experienced only minimal symptoms, such as body aches, a cough, headaches, and fatigue but decided to take a "more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food."