Tag: Trump COVID-19 diagnosis

Trump says he’s leaving Walter Reed Monday evening

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President Trump announced that he will be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Monday evening after three days of treatment, insisting that Americans should not be “afraid” of the novel coronavirus.

Trump, whose oxygen levels dropped as recently as Saturday and who is on several medications following his COVID-19 diagnosis, tweeted that he is “feeling really good” and said that Americans should not allow COVID-19 to “dominate your life,” downplaying a virus that has killed over 210,000 people in the country. He said that he feels better than he did 20 years ago following his treatment at the military hospital in Bethesda, Md. 

“I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good!” Trump tweeted. “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” Continue reading.

Secret Service agents, doctors aghast at Trump’s drive outside hospital

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Current and former Secret Service agents and medical professionals were aghast Sunday night at President Trump’s trip outside the hospital where he is being treated for the coronavirus, saying the president endangered those inside his SUV for a publicity stunt.

As the backlash grew, multiple aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations also called Trump’s evening outing an unnecessary risk — but said it was not surprising. Trump had said he was bored in the hospital, advisers said. He wanted to show strength after his chief of staff offered a grimmer assessment of his health than doctors, according to campaign and White House officials.

A growing number of Secret Service agents have been concerned about the president’s seeming indifference to the health risks they face when traveling with him in public, and a few reacted with outrage to the trip, asking how Trump’s desire to be seen outside his hospital suite justified the jeopardy to agents protecting him. Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis has already brought new scrutiny to his lax approach to social distancing, as public health officials scramble to trace those he may have exposed at large in-person events. Continue reading.

How the everyday chaos of reporting on the Trump White House played out for the world to see Saturday

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The dispatches began routinely enough for an out-of-the-ordinary day, with Pool Report No. 2 from Cheryl Bolen, the Bloomberg News White House reporter on pool duty Saturday.

“Pool took vans over to Walter Reed, arriving at 10:31 a.m. We are attempting to learn the logistics of Dr. [Sean] Conley’s update on POTUS’s health, scheduled for 11:00 a.m., and will advise soonest.” The report, sent at 10:33 a.m., was a typical transmission from the email list that provides regular updates each day on the president’s activities and is, at the most basic level, the primary source for the press to communicate what is happening with the commander in chief.

But as the media continued to wait for the president’s medical team outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the next four hours of reports encapsulated the chaos that has been the defining feature of covering the Trump White House — this time on what might be the most consequential moment of his presidency. Continue reading.

Trump’s last rally: A catalog of worst pandemic practices

In Duluth, Minn., the recklessness of the president’s campaign fell plainly into view.

In retrospect, it was an ominous scene — the vapor in Donald Trump’s breath visibly condensing as he spoke at the rally in Duluth, Minn., a wisp of exhalant hanging in the frigid air.

In a region where coronavirus cases are surging, a mask-less Trump stood before several thousand supporters on Wednesday, most of them mask-free themselves, pumping his fists and tossing hats to the tightly packed crowd. 

Two days later, Trump would be hospitalized. And Duluth — the site of his last rally before checking into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — would become mired in a recovery of its own. Continue reading.

Doctors, White House staff offer conflicting messages on president’s health

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The White House on Saturday sent conflicting signals about the president’s battle with the coronavirus, raising questions over the seriousness of his illness. 

Doctors Saturday afternoon offered a rosey assessment of Trump’s health less than 24 hours after he was checked into Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. 

But statements the Associated Press and other outlets later attributed to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and other sources gave a more alarming account of the president’s health.  Continue reading.

What we know and don’t know about the president’s health

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President Trump remains hospitalized with the coronavirus but, despite daily medical briefings, much about the president’s health continues to be unclear. 

Officials have given at times conflicting answers, and the president’s doctor, Sean Conley, has not answered a number of questions at his press conferences, acknowledging Sunday that he left the impression the day before he was “trying to hide something.”

Thus far, it’s not apparent just how severe the president’s case of COVID-19 is. Continue reading.

Biden campaign says it will now disclose the result of every coronavirus test

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Joe Biden’s campaign said Saturday it will now disclose the result of every coronavirus test the candidate takes, following increased pressure for more transparency after President Trump recently tested positive for the virus and Vice President Pence has released results for two consecutive days.

“We have adhered to strict and extensive safety practices recommended by public health experts and doctors in all of our campaigning — including social distancing, mask wearing, and additional safeguards,” campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement. “Vice President Biden is being tested regularly, and we will be releasing the results of each test.”

Bates did not say how often Biden would be undergoing such tests, beyond saying they would happen on a regular basis. Biden, who tested negative Friday, told reporters he had not undergone a test Saturday but would on Sunday. Continue reading.

Trump’s COVID-19 case draws new attention to handling of pandemic

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President Trump has repeatedly downplayed the risks of the coronavirus and mocked his opponent, Joe Biden, for wearing a mask. Now, Trump himself has the virus and has been flown to Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment. 

Concerns are now mounting about the president’s health, though the White House said Friday he was hospitalized “out of an abundance of caution.”

Trump walked on his own power to and from the helicopter Marine One that took him to the hospital. The president, looking a bit pale, also tweeted a video from the White House in which he said he thought things were going well.  Continue reading.

Medical experts puzzled by Trump taking experimental drugs Remdesivir and Regeneron

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Medical experts are raising serious questions about President Donald Trump’s health as the White House scrambles to justify many of the speculative decisions being made.

During a panel discussion on MSNBC, multiple medical experts weighed in on Trump being treated with Remdesivir and Regeneron. Although its not uncommon for patients to be treated with Remdesivir, what is uncommon is the use of it for mild symptoms which the White House has claimed the president has. The use of Regeneron has also raised concerns due to the lack of evidence to prove its effectiveness.

Since the White House has remained opaque about the president’s condition, medical experts are not sure he is doing as well as officials claim he is. Dr. Vin Gupta, MSNBC Medical Contributor weighed in with his concerns about the choice of treatment. Continue reading.

74 and Overweight, Trump Faces Extra Risks From ‘a Very Sneaky Virus’

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The president has boasted of his health and is sure to receive the best possible care, but he carries a number of risk factors as he begins his battle with Covid-19.

WASHINGTON — President Trump, like many men in their 70s, has mild heart disease. He takes a statin drug to treat high cholesterol and aspirin to prevent heart attacks. And at 244 pounds in a health summary released in June, he has crossed the line into obesity.

All of that, experts say, puts him at greater risk for a serious bout of Covid-19. So far, White House officials say Mr. Trump’s symptoms are mild — a low-grade fever, fatigue, nasal congestion and a cough — but it is far too soon to tell how the disease will progress.

“He is 74, he’s hefty and he’s male, and those three things together put him in a higher-risk group for a severe infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, adding: “Although he is being watched meticulously and may well do fine for a few days, he is not out of the woods, because people can crash after that period of time. This is a very sneaky virus.” Continue reading.