Trump said to be improving, but next 48 hours ‘critical’
PRESIDENT DONALD Trump faces a “critical” next two days in his fight against COVID-19 at a military hospital, his chief of staff said yesterday, also revealing that Trump went through a “very concerning” period on Friday while officials were giving calm, upbeat reports.
“We’re still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery,” said chief of staff Mark Meadows outside the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
His comments were in sharp contrast to the rosy assessment offered moments earlier by Trump’s doctors, who took pains not to reveal the president had received supplemental oxygen at the White House before being flown by helicopter to the hospital.
The changing – and at times contradictory – accounts created a clear credibility problem for the White House at a crucial moment, with the president’s health and the nation’s leadership on the line. With Trump expected to remain hospitalised several more days and the presidential election looming, his condition is being anxiously watched by Americans and followed closely by foreign leaders, friendly and otherwise.
PRESS BRIEFING
Yesterday’s briefing by Navy Commander Dr Sean Conley and other doctors raised more questions than it answered as Conley repeatedly refused to say whether the president ever needed supplemental oxygen, despite repeated questioning, and declined to share key details, including Trump’s fever temperature. Conley also revealed that Trump began exhibiting “clinical indications” of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, earlier than previously known.
Conley spent much of the briefing dodging reporters’ questions, as he was pressed for details.
“Thursday no oxygen. None at this moment. And yesterday with the team, while we were all here, he was not on oxygen,” Conley said.
But according to a person familiar with Trump’s condition, Trump was administered oxygen at the White House on Friday before he was transported to the military hospital by helicopter. The person was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Conley said that Trump’s symptoms, including a mild cough, nasal congestion and fatigue “are now resolving and improving,” and said the president had been fever-free for 24 hours. But Trump also is taking aspirin, which lowers body temperature and could mask or mitigate that symptom.
“He’s in exceptionally good spirits,” said another doctor, Sean Dooley, who said Trump’s heart, kidney, and liver functions were normal and that he was not having trouble breathing or walking around.
Trump is 74 years old and clinically obese, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has infected more than seven million people nationwide and killed more than 200,000 people in the US.
Globally, there has been more than one million deaths and 35 million infections.