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Updated Oct 5, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump to continue coronavirus treatment after being discharged from Walter Reed

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President Trump was discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday evening and boarded Marine One to return to the White House, where he will continue his coronavirus treatment (see vide0).

Why it matters: The president, who has a number of risk factors for severe coronavirus symptoms, is still only a few days out from his initial diagnosis and has already had a number of complications. The course of the illness can run for almost two weeks, though it varies from patient to patient, per the CDC.

The state of play: It has been more than 72 hours since the president's last fever, Trump's doctors said at a briefing outside Walter Reed, and his oxygen levels and breathing "are all normal."

  • Trump will receive his fourth dose of remdesivir on Monday evening before returning to the White House, with a "fifth and final dose of his treatment course at the White House tomorrow evening," according to one doctor.
  • He continues to be treated with dexamethasone, a steroid that may help save the lives of seriously ill patients, especially those on ventilators. It's less effective for patients who are only on supplemental oxygen, and it's shown no benefit in the mildest cases.
  • Trump "may not be entirely out of the woods yet," Conley said, but the physicians said they had deemed it safe for him to return to the White House.

Between the lines: The president also has a team of doctors and a helicopter on call. Trump's doctors can virtually replicate a hospital environment in the residence, including the ability to give the president supplemental oxygen and other high-level medical treatment if needed.

What they're saying: "I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. 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!" the president tweeted.

Zoom in: Trump experienced two "transient" episodes in which his oxygen saturation levels dropped and he received supplemental oxygen in the past few days, White House physician Sean Conley said on Sunday.

The big picture: Information on the actual state of Trump's health has been muddled amid conflicting statements this weekend from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Conley.

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