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(Reuters) – US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for COVID-19 and were in quarantine.
Trump, 74, is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said. The most common symptoms of the disease are cough, fever, and sore throat. Trump’s sex, age and weight make him more vulnerable to developing severe COVID-19 and give him a theoretical risk of about 4% of dying from it, health experts said.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR ‘MILD’ COVID-19? “There are no treatments to date that have really been established to be effective in this phase of the disease. At this point, it is really symptomatic and supportive care,” Dr. Jonathan Grein, the director of epidemiology said in a telephone interview. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, which is not involved in Trump’s treatment.
Grein said the president is likely to be closely monitored and given extra oxygen or fluids if necessary. Supportive care would depend on the symptoms: things like cough syrup or fever-reducing medicine.
WHAT ABOUT EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENTS?
One of the most anticipated classes of experimental COVID-19 drugs are monoclonal antibodies – manufactured copies of human antibodies to the virus that are being studied for use in patients with early disease. They could be given to the president in the context of a clinical trial or compassionate use program.
The technique is already widely used to treat a variety of diseases. The data so far is limited for COVID-19 antibodies, but US infectious diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those who say it is promising.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, one of the leaders in this area, has reported an improvement in symptoms in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, without serious side effects. Eli Lilly & Co has also announced the first data from a trial of its coronavirus antibody and said it is seeking an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Neither company responded to a request for comment.
“Obviously, the president is a very special case … I’m sure his clinical team is looking at everything,” Dr. Grein said.
WHAT ABOUT HYDROXYCHLOROCINE?
Trump early in the pandemic backed the idea of using hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, to treat COVID-19. In May, the president said he was taking the drug to prevent infection. The FDA initially allowed emergency use, but in June withdrew that authorization after determining that hydroxychloroquine was ineffective.
WHAT IF THE TRUMP CONDITION WORSENS?
If the president’s condition deteriorates, for example, he developed respiratory problems, he would be hospitalized. “It is not uncommon for patients to have symptoms for several weeks. Some may get worse well into the second week of the disease,” said Dr. Grein.
For hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the FDA has authorized emergency use for two treatments: Remdesivir, an intravenous antiviral drug sold by Gilead Sciences Inc, which has been shown to shorten hospital stays, and convalescent plasma, which is derived from the blood of people who have survived the disease and that carry antibodies that can help a patient fight COVID-19.
Hospitals also commonly use the generic steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown in studies to improve survival for hospitalized patients with critical COVID-19 who need additional oxygen. But the steroid should not be used in people with mild illness, as it can limit the body’s ability to fight the virus, according to guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
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