US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump’s medical team has said that he has “continued to improve” while being treated at a military hospital over the weekend, but has been treated with a steroid following a drop in oxygen levels.
Trump, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 earlier this week, is currently receiving treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Trump’s team of doctors said that he has been given the steroid dexamethasone, a steroid that is used in treating inflammatory conditions.
Conley said that Trump received supplemental oxygen for an hour on Friday after his oxygen saturation levels dipped.
Trump’s oxygen saturation level dipped again yesterday morning, Conley said.
He said that Trump’s current oxygen saturation level is 98%.
When reporters at the press conference questioned why Conley had not previously been clear that Trump had been administered oxygen, Conley said that he was “trying to reflect the upbeat attitude” among the team about Trump’s status.
“I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true,” Conley said.
In the wake of the briefing, commentators have questioned how Conley providing information to the public about Trump’s treatment could feasibly “steer the course of illness in another direction”.
Another member of Trump’s medical team, Dr Sean Dooley, said that “the patient continues to improve” and that he is “not complaining of shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms”.
Dr Brian Garibaldi said that Trump “feels well” and that “if he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course”.
Journalists in the White House press pool were called to the Walter Reed Medical Center earlier today.
Reporters and photographers waited outside the hospital as a press conference was set up.
Last night, Trump released a video saying he felt “much better” and hoped to “be back soon”.
The video came amid uncertainty about the president’s condition.
At a briefing yesterday, Conley said that Trump had been diagnosed 72 hours ago, but Trump had only confirmed his diagnosis 36 hours beforehand.
After the briefing, White House officials said that Conley had meant to say it was “Day 3″ since the president had first tested positive for the virus.
Trump was transferred to the Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday on Marine One, the presidential helicopter.
A spokesperson said that his visit to the hospital was a precaution and that Trump would continue to work from the hospital’s presidential suite.
“President Trump remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day,” his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, had said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say