Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the latest in a string of high-profile individuals to become infected with the potentially deadly pathogen.
In a statement on Thursday, the office of the prime minister said Grégoire Trudeau had begun experiencing a low-grade fever and other mild flu-like symptoms the previous day and was subsequently tested.
"The test came back positive," it said.
"She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild," the statement said, adding that the prime minister himself "is in good health with no symptoms."
Grégoire Trudeau will self-isolate for 14 days, along with the prime minister and the couple's three children, "[as] a precautionary measure," according to the statement.
It said that the isolation would not interfere with the prime minister's duties as head of government and that "on the advice of doctors, he will not be tested at this stage since he has no symptoms."
In her own statement, Grégoire Trudeau, 44, thanked well-wishers, saying that although she is "experiencing uncomfortable symptoms," she would be "back on my feet soon."
"Being in quarantine at home is nothing compared to other Canadian families who might be going through this and for those facing more serious health concerns," she said.
In a gesture of support for Grégoire Trudeau, the leader of Canada's opposition conservatives, Andrew Scheer, tweeted that he and his wife "wish her a speedy recovery."
On Thursday, the prime minister spoke by telephone with President Trump and the two leaders discussed efforts to respond to the pandemic, with nearly 135,000 known cases globally and nearly 5,000 deaths from the virus.
In a readout of the call, the prime minister's office said: "The two leaders discussed the steps they are taking to protect the health and safety of their citizens and to promote economic resilience in response to the COVID-19 virus."
