Coronavirus: Gov. DeWine says, ‘I feel fine.’ What happens if he becomes ill?

Columbus, Ohio — After Gov. Mike DeWine was administered a second test Thursday for Coronavirus, the results came back negative for him, his wife and his staff. News Center 7 then researched what would happen if DeWine became ill.

Earlier in the day DeWine tested positive for coronavirus Thursday as part of the security protocol to greet President Donald Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland before the president’s event.

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The governor tweeted he had no symptoms and would immediately quarantine at home in Cedarville for the next 14 days.

>> MORE: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tests positive for coronavirus

Later in a news conference from his front porch, DeWine said he did have a headache, but that headaches are something he’s dealt with for awhile. He said he has suffered from asthma for years and uses an inhaler twice a day.

So who will now hold the governor’s briefings during the week if his symptoms worsen? Who will sign bills into law or issue any possible orders regarding coronavirus in the state?

DeWine said, “I’m going to keep doing what I do. So far my work hasn’t been impacted, we’ll see.”

The governor said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has been intimately involved in everything the state has been doing, they are on the phone with each other multiple times a day. The governor said he works most days from home and only travels to Columbus on briefing days.

“As long as I’m feeling OK we’ll be doing this. I’ve got a great team around me,” DeWine said. “That process will continue unless for some reason it cannot.”

According to the Ohio Revised Code, in the event the governor is not able to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of his office, or is unavailable, the lieutenant governor handles that work. Behind the lieutenant governor, the duties fall to the president of the Senate, then the speaker of the House of Representatives.

“We know Gov. DeWine is asymptomatic, which is very fortunate, but certainly the lieutenant governor will be very active, he’s filling in for the governor today, on one of the events that the governor was going to go to,” said former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft.

Taft said with DeWine in quarantine in his home in Greene County, legislation would likely be driven to his house to be signed if necessary.

Husted also was tested on the tarmac and was negative.

The PCR test looks for the specific RNA for the SARS CoV-2 -- in other words, the genetic material specific for the virus that causes COVID-19. This test is known to be extremely sensitive, as well as specific, for the virus.

The PCR tests for the DeWine, the first lady and staff were run two times. They came back negative the first time and came back negative when they were run on a second diagnostic platform.

Out of an abundance of caution, and at the direction of medical professionals, DeWine and his wife plan on having another PCR test Saturday. Results of these tests will also be released.

DeWine is the second governor to test positive for coronavirus. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tested positive in mid-July. He was mostly asymptomatic. Stitt’s wife and children tested negative.

Cox Media Group