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SSince Donald Trump tweeted in the early hours of Friday morning that he had tested positive for Covid-19, his doctor, Dr. Sean Conley, has given a number of puzzling medical reports, one of which was contradicted. in an unofficial report by a senior White House official, and the president himself has made a number of optimistic comments about his health.
Many unanswered questions remain about Trump’s illness. Here is a summary of what we know and what we don’t:
What we know
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Doctors have revealed that the president’s blood oxygen levels dropped below normal levels at least twice, and that he was receiving steroid treatment normally used in more severe cases, suggesting that Trump was enduring more. than a mild case of Covid-19.
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They say Trump will continue to receive his treatments at the White House, which is equipped with medical facilities, following his departure from Walter Reed Military Hospital on Monday.
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On Friday, Trump began a five-day course of remdesivir, a Gilead Sciences drug currently used for patients with moderate and severe illnesses.
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On Friday he received a single dose of an experimental drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that supplies antibodies to help the immune system fight the virus.
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Trump has also been treated with the steroid dexamethasone. It has only been shown to help in more serious cases. One of the concerns with their use is that steroids can reduce the body’s own ability to fight infection.
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Conley said Monday that Trump may not be completely out of the woods yet, but his clinical condition supports the president’s safe return home. She said the president could resume her normal hours once there is no evidence of a live virus still present.
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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that people with mild to moderate symptoms should isolate themselves for at least 10 days.
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Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump’s spokeswoman, said every precaution is being taken to protect those who serve sick Trumps in the White House suburbs, in consultation with the White House medical unit.
What we don’t know
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We still don’t really know how sick Trump was, or how sick he is now.
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Conley has detailed vital signs like temperature and blood pressure when normal, but repeatedly declined to give information indicating the severity, for example, of the president’s breathing problems.
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Conley also has been unable to explain why Trump is receiving treatment normally reserved for difficult cases of Covid-19.
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Trump’s doctors said the president had refused to waive doctor-patient confidentiality to allow them to discuss the results of his lung scans. Covid-19 can cause significant damage to the lungs, and scans can reveal signs of pneumonia and other problems.
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With treatments still evolving in the pandemic, Trump’s doctors admit that they themselves don’t know everything about the interaction of the drugs he’s taking. “We are in uncharted territory,” Conley said.
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Conley also declined to detail when Trump last tested negative for Covid-19. That’s important for tracking down those he might have been in close contact with after that time, and it means it’s still unclear whether the president had coronavirus when he attended last Tuesday’s presidential debate with Joe Biden.
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The White House is also hiding details about the steps it is taking to stop the ongoing outbreak from spreading in Trump’s circle. More than a dozen aides, lawmakers and political figures around Trump have confirmed positive evidence in recent days.
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Officials are not saying what steps are being taken to protect the health of White House staff when the contagious president returns home. The White House management team did not email staff on what to do after Trump’s positive test until Sunday night.
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It is not known whether Trump, who last week mocked his election rival Biden for wearing masks, has pledged to abide by the precautions. The fact that he removed his mask upon returning to the White House and his insistence on a push to greet supporters outside of Walter Reed on Sunday suggests not.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
