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Experimental drugs, conflicting accounts, and a controversial drive by. We break down the unfolding saga.
As the U.S. death toll from coronavirus neared 210,000, President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 2 that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for COVID-19. The disclosure came in a tweet issued at 12:54 a.
m. At 244 pounds, Trump, 74, is considered slightly obese, putting him in a higher-risk category for the disease. Since his announcement, White House officials issued conflicting statements about the president's health during his stay at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.Late Friday morning, Trump is diagnosed with a high fever and an oxygen blood saturation level of less than 94%. Normal levels are 95% to 100%. Trump is given supplemental oxygen. White House physician Sean Conley releases these details to the public, but not until Sunday. At 6:31 p.m., Trump tweets an 18-second video in which he announces he's going to the Walter Reed medical center."I think I'm doing very well but we're going to make sure that things work out," he says."The first lady is doing very well."The president is given an experimental antibody cocktail, a combination of two antibodies designed to attack a specific protein of the coronavirus. He also takes his first dose of remdesivir, an antiviral drug.At Walter Reed, Trump's oxygen level falls again. He is given dexamethasone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation, and a second dose of remdesivir.Aerial view of Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterConley, in the Sunday news conference, says he doesn't know if Trump received another round of supplemental oxygen on Saturday. Conley says on Saturday that Trump is doing"very well." However, Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff, tells reporters that Trump's vital signs were"very worrying." He says the next 48 hours will be critical. At 1:19 p.m., Trump praises Walter Reed medical staff in a tweet and says"With their help, I am feeling well!" At 6:51 p.m., Trump tweets a four-minute video in which he says"I'll be back, I think I'll be back soon...I'm doing well. I think we're going to have a very good result."At 5:16 p.m., Trump announces on Twitter that"I'm about to make a little surprise visit" to dozens of supporters outside Walter Reed hospital. He then unexpectedly leaves the hospital in a motorcade and waves to people from inside a Secret Service SUV. Medical experts criticize the president for putting security personnel at risk for infection.Day 4: Monday, Oct. 5At 2:37 p.m., Trump tweets"I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 p.m. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life." At a 3 p.m. news conference, medical officials say Trump has continued to improve and confirm he will be released."Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet," Conley says, the president will be surrounded by world-class medical care 24-7. Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a pulmonary physician, says Trump will get a fourth dose of remdesivir before leaving Walter Reed and a fifth dose at the White House on Tuesday evening. "There is no evidence of live virus still present that he could possibly transmit to others," Conley says. The president returned to the White House shortly before 7 p.m. It was unclear if Trump would confine himself to the White House residence or work out of the West Wing, where other staffers have reported testing positive for COVID-19.USA TODAY
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