The internet erupted with speculation when Vice President Mike Pence arrived at Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate against Sen. Kamala Harris with a bloody left eye. A senior administration official confirmed on Thursday morning that there was no reason for concern.
The White House’s team of doctors cleared the vice president of pink eye, otherwise known as the conjunctivitis infection, instead stating that it was simply a broken blood vessel.
Thousands of users online took notice of his eye’s appearance, many suggesting a possible coronavirus infection. In the days leading up to the debate, the White House became a coronavirus hotspot and pink eye has been listed as one of the common symptoms of the virus.
Pence arrived in Salt Lake City on Monday, the same day President Donald Trump was discharged from a three-day hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a coronavirus infection. The vice president repeatedly tested negative leading up to the debate, but his presence at the White House Rose Garden “super-spreader” event on Sept. 26 led to some lasting suspicions. Since the event, which was an announcement ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, at least 34 individuals tied to the White House have tested positive for coronavirus.
