GREENSBORO, N.C. — Octobers are known to bring surprises in campaign years but experts say a presidential health scare in the weeks before an election is unprecedented.
"I think it's kind of unclear now. We're watching and waiting to see what's gonna happen not only with the President but other members of his staff," sDr. Martin Kifer said. Kifer chairs High Point University's political science department.
The White House said the President was showing mild symptoms Friday before being taken to Walter Reed Military Medical Center. According to The White House, the trip is precautionary.
Wake Forest Baptist Health Infectious Disease expert Dr. Christopher Ohl said it can be hard to predict how the President's condition will change.
"The first few days the symptoms are usually mild to moderate and it's not until day six, seven, eight, nine when the more severe infections usually occur," Ohl said.
Dr. Ohl says the President is in the at-risk category because of his age, which can bring a higher mortality risk, but points out that 90 percent of people recover from the virus.
When it comes to contact tracing, Dr. Ohl said it may be hard to determine who the President caught the virus from or who he might have given it to due to his travel schedule and the amount of people he's been in contact with.
Others close to the President--like Vice President Mike Pence and the Second Lady--tested negative for the virus but Ohl said they could test positive later.
"The virus can incubate in such a way that tests are negative all the way up to the 14-day point which is why we quarantine people for 14 days regardless of a negative test result," Ohl said.
Dr. Ohl said those who have been around the President lately should get tested again in the coming days.
Political experts said the impacts to the President's ability to govern and campaign will depend on the President's health.
"We're looking at a brief pause in terms of the in-person events, the kinds of things the President has been doing," said Kifer.
"The responsibility of campaigning will fall on his surrogates, his children and close allies that are going to have to carry the mantle," High Point University professor Dr. Brandon Lenoir said.
Kifer said polling shows the pandemic has been a top issue throughout this campaign and this will put the focus on it even more. It's unclear whether that changes either candidate's strategy.
"I don't anticipate that his campaign approach would be much different even though he has tested positive with COVID," Lenoir said.
"Joe Biden expressed his sympathy and sent his well-wishes to the White House. They'll have to make some decisions about when and where it's appropriate to campaign," Kifer said.
The biggest unknown will be how voters react to this. Polling likely won't show effects--if any--for a few days, but many voters have already cast their ballots through absentee voting.