Brian Cornell, the Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation, reaches out and shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after the president declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2020. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials appeared to disregard recommended health guidelines on preventing the spread of respiratory illnesses Friday by shaking hands, touching their faces and sharing a microphone at a press conference declaring the coronavirus a national emergency. During a live briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House, Trump could be seen shaking hands with multiple executives from major companies, including Target CEO Brian Cornell, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and Walgreens President Richard Ashworth.

U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci, and executives also shared a podium where they repeatedly touched the microphone. U.S. officials could also be seen touching their faces. Reporters at the press conference also shared the same microphone. Tweet 1 The briefing raised eyebrows for those watching on social media as health officials urge the public to take strong measures to try to stem the outbreak, which has spread across 46 U.S. states.

COVID-19 can spread through respiratory droplets that pass when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Whenever someone with the virus coughs or exhales, they release droplets of infected fluid that can land on nearby surfaces like desks, tables or telephones and can infect another person who comes in contact with it.

Bruce Greenstein, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of the LHC Group offers President Donald Trump an elbow bump in place of a handshake for safety after the president declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency at a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, March 13, 2020. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters