Donald Trump says he is 'leaving hospital today' and tells followers 'don't be afraid of Covid'

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  • October 5, 2020
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Donald Trump has said he is leaving hospital today as he is “feeling really good” after his coronavirus treatment.

The US president told his followers “don’t be afraid of Covid” as he said he would be checking out of the Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday feeling “better than I did 20 years ago”.

Mr Trump wrote: “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6.30pm. Feeling really good!

“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!”

Mr Trump’s physician Dr Sean Conley told a press conference that although the president was not “entirely our of the woods”, he had “continued to improve” over the last 24 hours and had “met all discharge criteria”.

Dr Conley said the medical team “agree that all our evaluations and, most importantly, his clinical status support the president’s safe return home, where he’ll be surrounded by world class medical care”.

He added that Mr Trump would receive another dose of the anti-viral drug remdesivir at Walter Reed before returning to the White House.

Dr Conley said it had been “almost 72 hours” since Mr Trump’s last fever and that his oxygen levels were normal.

Dr Conley speaks to the media on Monday (AP)

He said the president could resume his normal schedule once “there is no evidence of live virus still present”.

But he also noted that it was “uncharted territory” having a patient receive such aggressive medication so early in the course of the disease.

Dr Conley repeatedly declined to share results of medical scans of Mr Trump’s lungs, saying he was not at liberty to discuss the information because the president did not waive doctor-patient confidentiality on the subject.

He also refused to share the date of Mr Trump’s most recent negative test for the virus, a critical point for contact tracing and understanding where he is in the course of the disease.

Members of Mr Trump’s medical team outside the Walter Reed Medical Center (AFP via Getty Images)

White House officials have said Mr Trump is anxious to be released after three nights at Walter Reed, where doctors revealed on Sunday that his blood oxygen level had dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick.

The virus, which led to Mr Trump’s hospital admission on Friday, has killed nearly 210,000 Americans.

Mr Trump on Monday also responded to the backlash he faced after he briefly left hospital in a car on Sunday to wave to supporters.

Among the critics was Dr James P Phillips, an attending physician at Walter Reed, who branded the stunt “insanity”.

The president wrote: “It is reported that the Media is upset because I got into a secure vehicle to say thank you to the many fans and supporters who were standing outside of the hospital for many hours, and even days, to pay their respect to their President. If I didn’t do it, Media would say RUDE!”

His return to the White House comes as officials are still learning of the scale of the apparent outbreak on the complex last week.

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had tested positive for the virus on Monday morning and was entering quarantine.

Ms McEnany spoke briefly with reporters on Sunday evening without wearing a mask, but said that no members of the White House press corps spent enough time around her to be considered close contacts.

Joe Biden’s campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee again tested negative for coronavirus on Sunday. The results came five days after he spent more than 90 minutes on the debate stage with Mr Trump.