Coronavirus updates: Trump calls diagnosis 'blessing in disguise'
Oregon is facing "explosive growth in case counts."
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1 million people worldwide.
Over 36 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country-to-country. Still, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica.
The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 7.5 million diagnosed cases and at least 211,725 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 841,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 803,000 cases and over 722,000 cases, respectively.
More than 190 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least seven of which are in crucial phase three trials.
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Head of White House security office hospitalized since September due to COVID-19
The head of the White House Security office, Crede Bailey, is very ill and has been hospitalized since September with the coronavirus, sources confirmed to ABC News.
Bailey was hospitalized prior to the Rose Garden event for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Sept. 26, the sources said.
The White House declined to comment to ABC News.
ABC News' John Santucci, Katherine Faulders and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.
Marine general tests positive for COVID-19 after Pentagon meeting
The second-highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Marine Corps has tested positive for the coronavirus, the military branch said in a statement.
Assistant Commandant Gen. Gary L. Thomas tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. He had been quarantining since Tuesday after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus, the Marine Corps said.
The announcement comes a day after Adm. Charles Ray, vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, tested positive for the virus.
Nearly all members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are quarantining following a meeting with Ray at the Pentagon last Friday. Thomas attended the meeting in place of Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger, who was traveling overseas.
Thomas will continue to quarantine at home and is experiencing mild symptoms, the Marine Corps said.
There have been no other positive cases so far among the Joint Chiefs who are quarantining, according to chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman.
ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report.
Trump wants antibody cocktail available to everyone, calls getting COVID ‘blessing in disguise’
In a nearly five-minute video posted to Twitter Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump said he thought the monoclonal antibody cocktail he received from Regeneron on a compassionate-use basis “was the key to his recovery,” and that he wants everyone to have access to it.
“I want everybody to be given the same treatment as your president. Because I feel great. I feel, like, perfect,” the president said in his latest video update on his health. He wasn’t wearing a mask in the video.
Trump said his administration is trying to get Regeneron’s therapy, as well as a similar one from Eli Lily, authorized on an emergency basis, a process up the Federal Drug Administration.
“I want to get for you what I got -- and I’m gonna make it free -- you’re not going to pay for it,” he said, adding that it was his suggestion that he take the antibody cocktail.
So far, fewer than 10 people have received access to the Regeneron treatment outside of clinical trials, Regeneron CEO George Yancopoulos told ABC News on Friday.
During the video, Trump also called getting COVID-19 a “blessing from God” and “a blessing in disguise,” because he was then able to try the therapy.
“For me, I walked in, I didn’t feel good. A short 24 hours later I was feeling great,” said Trump, who left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after he was hospitalized Friday.
Trump’s doctors said Monday the president “may not entirely be out of the woods yet,” but they are using a “multi-pronged approach” in his treatment, which will continue as he recuperates at home.
ABC News’ Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.
Montana cases have doubled: Governor
Over the last two weeks, the number of weekly reported COVID-19 cases in Montana has doubled, Gov. Steve Bullock said Wednesday, as the state set records in cases and hospitalizations.
There were 2,451 new cases this week, up from 1,249 last week, Bullock said at a briefing. Eighteen counties had "significant increases" in new cases this week, he said, with about 800 combined from Yellowstone and Flathead counties. The last coronavirus-free county, Petroleum County, reported its first infection this week, Bullock said.
On Wednesday, Montana also reported record numbers of new daily cases, with 733, and current hospitalizations, with 235.
ABC News' Lauren Botchan contributed to this report.
