Administration

Trump says he feels ‘great’ and is symptomless: White House doctor

President Trump reports feeling “great” and experiencing no symptoms less than six days after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, according to a memo from the White House physician issued Wednesday.

“The President this morning says ‘I feel great!’ His physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range,” White House physician Sean Conley wrote in the memo released Wednesday afternoon.

“He’s now been fever-free for more than 4 days, symptom-free for over 24 hours, and has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization,” Conley wrote.

Conley also said Trump’s lab results from Monday showed “demonstrated detectable levels” of COVID-19 antibodies.

The memo did not contain specific information about what medication the president is currently taking. It also did not address whether antibodies were detected because Trump recently received an experimental antibody cocktail as part of his treatment, which is likely the case. 

Trump was supposed to receive his fifth and final dose of remdesivir on Tuesday and his medical team said over the weekend that it planned to keep him on dexamethasone, a steroid used to treat inflammation that has been used on seriously ill coronavirus patients. He was also given an experimental antibody cocktail made by Regeneron last week, following his diagnosis.

Wednesday marked the second day in a row that Trump reporting no symptoms from his coronavirus infection. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were first diagnosed Thursday; the president was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment over the weekend. He returned to the White House on Monday evening.

Conley has been regularly releasing memos describing Trump’s condition but has not briefed the press since Monday, before Trump left Walter Reed. He has been evasive on questions about what chest scans have revealed about the condition of the president’s lungs and the timeline of Trump’s illness, specifically when he last tested negative for the virus.

Conley acknowledged Sunday that Trump had been given supplemental oxygen after a transient drop in his oxygen level, after earlier refusing to give a clear answer on the matter.

Trump has been eager to return to normal and project an image of strength in the face of his illness, recording a video Monday in which he told Americans not to fear the virus or allow it to “dominate” their lives. The president has received criticism from health experts, who argue he is dangerously minimizing the threat posed by the virus and sending unhelpful signals by taking off his face mask upon arriving at the White House. 

Tags Coronavirus COVID-19 Donald Trump Melania Trump

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