Former Vice President Joe Biden cleared his throat into his hand at the beginning of Sunday’s presidential debate.
As the former vice president began answering the first question of the debate, which was on the topic of the coronavirus, his voice sounded hoarse, and he appeared to try and clear his throat by coughing into his hand.
“First of all, my heart goes out to those —,” he said before clearing his throat, “— who have already lost someone or those suffering from the virus. This is bigger than any one of us.”
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Biden and the only other main presidential candidate left in the contest, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, bumped elbows instead of shaking hands at the beginning of the debate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people on its website to “cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow” and to “immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.” The CDC also recommends people who cannot immediately wash their hands to use “hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.”
CNN, the network hosting the debate, said it had placed the candidates’ lecterns six feet apart, following CDC guidelines for how to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The former vice president has not been tested for the coronavirus, his campaign said on Friday.
“Vice President Biden has no fever, no cough, no shortness of breath or other symptoms consistent with coronavirus,” the campaign said. “And the campaign has not been informed of or become aware of any relevant contact with an individual who has tested positive.”
The Biden campaign said the former vice president hasn’t been tested because “doing so would be against the advice of the public health officials.”
Moments before the debate began, the Centers for Disease Control announced that all gatherings of 50 people or more could contribute to the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus and should be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
