President Donald Trump's positive coronavirus test could send a message to Americans that they should be more cautious about the disease, Fox Business' Stuart Varney said Friday.
"I think the immediate reaction on many people's part will be, 'My goodness, if the president of the United States can get it, maybe I can, too,'" Varney said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "'I'm going to be more cautious. I'm going to wear a mask more often and not so keen on opening up the economy and going out to restaurants and bars again.'"
Trump announced early Friday morning that he and first lady Melania Trump had both tested positive for coronavirus. On Thursday, the White House said senior advisor Hope Hicks' test had returned positive.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures fell and European shares opened lower on the news about the president, although they did recover some losses in early London trading, and Varney said that's what one would expect.
"The betting markets have already suggested right after this news broke that there’s a greater chance of a [Democrat nominee Joe] Biden win," said Varney.
Meanwhile, if the president's diagnosis changes public opinion and makes officials more reluctant to reopen the economy, there will be a greater economic impact, he said.
"If that happens, you’ve got a greater economic impact from the virus, a slowing economic recovery," said Varney. "[That's] not good at all. So your money depends on various factors which at this moment are unknown."
However, if the president recovers quickly, "that will mitigate the downside loss on Wall Street and our concern about the virus," said Varney.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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