Trump hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was rushed to the hospital for treatment for COVID-19 on Friday evening, less than 24 hours after he tested positive for the coronavirus, and the White House said he would remain at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for at least a few days as concerns mounted that he could face a severe risk from the deadly disease.
The president’s surprise diagnosis, and worsening condition, sent shock waves across a country already reeling from the pandemic, and bracing for a tumultuous presidential election next month that could hinge on Trump’s handling of a public health crisis that has killed more than 208,000 Americans this year.
As senior aides, lawmakers and the Pentagon sought to reassure a nervous public, Trump and the first lady, who also tested positive, spent the day isolated in the
White House residence. At sunset, the president walked on his own to the Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House and was flown to the hospital in suburban Maryland.
Wearing a navy suit, blue tie and a black mask, the president flashed a thumbs-up but didn’t stop to speak to reporters. After he arrived at the hospital at 6:29 p.m. Eastern time, Trump tweeted a video message thanking people for their support.
“I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out,” he said.
In a letter released by the White House, Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean P. Conley, said the president “remains fatigued but in good spirits.” White House officials said the president was suffering “mild symptoms” but offered few details.
Kayleigh Mcenany, the press secretary, sought to downplay the danger, suggesting Trump was simply shifting his workplace. “Out of abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the president will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days,” she said in a statement.
First lady Melania Trump was not hospitalized given her symptoms. Conley said she had a mild cough and a headache.
Mcenany said the president has not transferred his authority to Vice President Mike Pence. His office said Pence tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday, alleviating immediate concerns about the presidential line of succession should Trump become incapacitated and unable to perform official duties.
Trump first announced that he and the first lady had tested positive in a tweet shortly before 1 a.m. Eastern time Friday. After that, his normal activities ground to a halt.
He didn’t tweet or take part in a planned conference call with governors to discuss the pandemic. His campaign also canceled several announced rallies and events this week featuring the president or members of his family, although some events may be held virtually as the campaign moves into its final month.
Trump’s doctor said in his letter that the president was taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, which is used to treat heartburn, melatonin, which is a sleeping pill, and a daily aspirin. He said Trump also was given a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron’s experimental antibody cocktail REGN-COV2 “as a precautionary measure.”
Regeneron is still conducting clinical trials on the drug cocktail, and three days ago the New York-based company announced initial findings that indicated its “greatest treatment benefit was in patients who had not mounted their own effective immune response” and were at “greater risk for prolonged symptoms.”
Medical experts were alarmed that the president was given a drug still in the testing phase, and said it suggested his condition may be more serious than officials have disclosed.
“You wouldn’t do that with somebody who is just having an uncomplicated case,” said Dr.
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.
Adalja also said it wasn’t surprising that Trump was hospitalized since he is 74 and overweight, two high-risk factors for COVID-19, and reports that he is battling a fever.
“It’s not just a mild case if he’s getting hospitalized,” he said.
“It’s likely to have more careful monitoring and more therapy and bloodwork and having nurses and doctors around.”
Former Vice President Joe
Biden, the Democratic nominee who pounded Trump’s handling of the pandemic when they met Tuesday on the debate stage in Cleveland, tested negative for the virus Friday, according to his doctor.
Dr. Jill Biden, his wife, also tested negative. Both said they were praying for the president and his family.
It wasn’t clear if two more scheduled presidential debates would come off as planned, events that could give Trump an opportunity to rebound from his widely panned performance in Tuesday’s free-for-all.
Pence is scheduled to participate in a debate Wednesday in Utah with Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee. The event may carry greater importance for voters given the concerns about Trump’s health.
Trump’s activities in the past week may pose a challenge for contact tracing.
In addition to the debate, he hosted two rallies, participated in a dozen events and interacted with numerous supporters and donors, many of whom did not wear masks. Health officials in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and
New Jersey urged people who attended his events to get tested if they felt ill.
Republicans struggled to keep their legislative plans on track, including a controversial Supreme Court nomination, while Pentagon officials tried to allay concerns about the nation’s military readiness.
At the White House, some staffers wore face masks after months of eschewing the practice to placate the president, and senior aides sought to calm public anxieties after Trump’s predawn tweet Friday.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Trump showed “mild symptoms” of COVID-19 but was in “good spirits” and energetic. “His first question to me this morning was, ‘How is the economy doing?’”
The first lady posted a brief thank you message to wellwishers on social media.
“I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good,” she tweeted. “I am looking forward to a speedy recovery.”
Although no one else in the president’s inner circle had tested positive, Meadows made clear that he expects the outbreak to spread because the virus is often most contagious before symptoms appear.
“I fully expect that as this virus continues to go on other people in the White House will certainly have a positive test result,” he told reporters.