Trump Compares Coronavirus to 'Sniffles' as U.S. Death Toll Tops 140,000

President Donald Trump continued to downplay the severity of the coronavirus pandemic one day after the U.S. death toll passed 140,000, according to a Reuters tally.
"Many of those cases are young people that would heal in a day," Trump said in an interview with Fox News Sunday, as NPR reported. "They have the sniffles, and we put it down as a test."
WATCH: President Trump on the current state of the virus. "When you talk about mortality rates, I think it's the o… https://t.co/2uMLrEBa3G— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday)1595167438.0
Also on Saturday, the global death toll rose past 600,000, Johns Hopkins University said, as The Associated Press reported. The world also broke its record for the most new cases reported in a day, with 259,848. The U.S. continues to lead the world in both deaths and cases. Out of more than 14.5 million cases worldwide, it is responsible for more than 3.7 million of them, according to Monday morning figures from Johns Hopkins University.
Trump's remarks came during a discussion of the rising U.S. caseload with Fox News host Chris Wallace, Business Insider explained.
During the interview, Trump claimed that the rising case count was due to an increase in testing.
"We go out into parking lots, and everything, everybody gets a test. We find, if we did half the testing — with all of that being said, I'm glad we did it, this is the right way to do it. I'm glad we did what we're doing, but we have more tests by far than anywhere else in the world," he said, as Business Insider reported.
Wallace challenged that the rise in cases could not only be attributed to more tests — while testing has increased 37 percent, cases have increased 194 percent, he said.
"it isn't just that the testing has gone up but that the virus has spread, the positivity rate has increased, the virus is worse than it was," Wallace pointed out.
It was at this point that Trump said most of those cases were "sniffles" that would never have been uncovered if it weren't for extensive testing.
This isn't the first time that Trump has diminished the seriousness of the new disease. In March, he told Fox's Sean Hannity that people with mild cases could go to work and get better. This contradicted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advice that anyone exhibiting symptoms should stay home and contact a doctor.
Wallace challenged Trump on another of his falsely optimistic statements about the virus, that it would "disappear."
"I'll be right eventually," Trump asserted, according to NPR.
Despite Trump's claims about the severity of COVID-19 cases, both deaths and hospitalizations are on the rise, Business Insider pointed out. Deaths have risen from 473 per day on average for the week of July 4 to 768 per day on average the week of July 18. Around 5,000 Americans are now dying of the virus weekly, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Canada has reported 8,800 coronavirus deaths total.
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The Great Trail in Canada is recognized as the world's longest recreational trail for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Created by the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) and various partners, The Great Trail consists of a series of smaller, interconnected routes that stretch from St. John's to Vancouver and even into the Yukon and Northwest Territories. It took nearly 25 years to connect the 27,000 kilometers of greenway in ways that were safe and accessible to hikers. Now, thanks to a new partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and AccessNow, the TCT is increasing accessibility throughout The Great Trail for people with disabilities.
Trans Canada Trail and AccessNow partnership for AccessOutdoors / Trails for All project. Mapping day at Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver, British Columbia with Richard Peter. Alexa Fernando
<p>This partnership also comes at a time when access to outdoor recreation is more important to Canadian citizens than ever. <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200527/dq200527b-eng.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Studies from the spring of 2020</a> indicate that Canadian's <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/moneytalk-mental-health-during-covid-19-1.1567633" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mental health has worsened</a> since the onset of social distancing protocols due to COVID-19. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/safe-activities-during-covid19/art-20489385" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mayo Clinic</a> lists hiking, biking, and skiing as safe activities during COVID-19. Their website explains, "When you're outside, fresh air is constantly moving, dispersing these droplets. So you're less likely to breathe in enough of the respiratory droplets containing the virus that causes COVID-19 to become infected."</p><p>TCT leadership took this into consideration when embarking on the accessibility project. McMahon explains that there has never been a more important time to bring accessibility to the great outdoors: "Canadians have told us that during these difficult times, they value access to natural spaces to stay active, take care of their mental health, and socially connect with others while respecting physical distancing and public health directives. This partnership is incredibly important especially now as trails have become a lifeline for Canadians."</p><p>Together, these organizations are paving the way for better physical and mental health among all Canadians. To learn more about the TCT's mission and initiatives, check out their <a href="https://thegreattrail.ca/stories/" target="_blank">trail stories</a> and <a href="https://thegreattrail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/TCT_2020-Donor-Impact-Report_EN_8.5x14-web.pdf" target="_blank">2020 Impact Report</a>.</p>