first lady Melania Trump discussed the response to the
Coronavirus with the wife of the German president on Tuesday, according to a release from her office.
Trump spoke with Elke Büdenbender over the phone about the countries’ “latest efforts” in fighting the virus and disinformation associated with the pandemic.
“The two
Women noted shared concern over some of the disinformation that has emerged, and committed to encouraging Americans and Germans to be cautious,” the release said.
Trump told Büdenbender, a judge who is married to German President Frank-Walker Steinmeier, that the U.S. will stand with
Germany and the rest of Europe throughout the pandemic.
Trump has given public service announcements (PSA) associated with COVID-19, including a video last week where she encouraged people to wear face coverings in public in accordance with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“As the CDC continues to study the spread of the COVID-19, they recommend people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures can be difficult to maintain," she said in the video. "Remember, this does not replace the importance of social distancing."
The first lady also filmed a PSA in mid-March telling Americans, “this is not how we’ll live forever.”
The coronavirus has infected almost 1.95 million people worldwide, including 584,073 in the U.S. and 131,100 in Germany. The U.S. has counted 24,485 deaths, while Germany has documented 3,261, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.