A Navy physician said Saturday that President Trump is “doing very well,” does not require oxygen and his fever is gone but said the president was “72 hours into” his diagnosis, sparking confusion about the timeline of the coronavirus infection and forcing the White House to clarify he meant the third day of the medical saga that is gripping the world.
Senior administration officials said the president received his diagnosis late Thursday — they informed the public around 1 a.m. Friday — and he received an “antibody cocktail” from Regeneron Pharmaceutical at some point early Friday, and not a full 48 hours prior as Dr. Sean P. Conley suggested during a press update at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Dr. Conley acknowledged the mistake in a memo to the press moment later, saying he should have used terms like “day three” and “day two.”
Mr. Trump was taken to Walter Reed early Friday evening, less than 24 hours after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. He is expected to spend several days at the military hospital.
Mr. Trump resumed his famous tweeting from the hospital, urging Congress to get a new stimulus bill done and thanking his health care team.
“Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them, are AMAZING!!!Tremendous progress has been made over the last 6 months in fighting this PLAGUE. With their help, I am feeling well!” he wrote.
On the president’s condition, Dr. Conley said the president did have a fever earlier this week but “since Friday morning, he’s had none.”
Mr. Trump is walking around, in good spirits and told his doctors he felt like he could walk right out of the hospital on Saturday, according to the doctor.
“At this time the team and I are extremely happy,” Dr. Conley said. “He’s up and active.”
The president’s heart rate is in the 70s to 80s and his blood pressure is where it’s historically been, from 110 to 120.
However, a person familiar with the situation provided a statement to a White House pool reporter on the scene that conflicted with the rosy outlook: “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.”
The first couple is among Washington luminaries who’ve tested positive this past week for the coronavirus, which has killed over 200,000 people in the U.S.
While contract tracers are still at work, many are looking closely at interactions during a White House Rose Garden event last weekend in which Mr. Trump introduced his pick for the Supreme Court vacancy, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Three Republican senators have tested positive, forcing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to push back Senate business until Oct. 19.
Besides the antibody cocktail, the president has received a dose of remdesivir, an antiviral drug, and will continue a five-day course. Doctors are encouraging him to eat and drink and work. He is also taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin.
“We remain cautiously optimistic,” Dr. Conley said.
Dr. Conley said repeatedly the president is not on oxygen “right now” but was evasive about whether he had been at any point at all.
“Thursday no oxygen, none at this moment, and yesterday with the team, while we were all here, he was not on oxygen,” Dr. Conley said.
Dr. Conley said the White House is conducting contact-tracing because of the president’s infection but the doctor was not able to shed light on when he got infected.
Dr. Conley said the first lady is doing well and did not need to be admitted to the hospital.
“The first lady is doing great,” Dr. Conley said. “She has no indication for hospitalization or advance therapy, she is convalescing at home.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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