WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's medical team said Sunday in a press conference that Trump's conditions were improving after multiple "episodes" over the weekend and after he was placed on a steroid therapy typically used with more severe Covid-19 cases.
"Since we spoke last, the president has continued to improve. As with any illness, there are frequent ups and downs over the course particularly when a patient is being so closely watched," said Dr. Sean Conley, a White House physician, adding that the president could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as soon as Monday.
Trump's doctors said that the president was on dexamethasone, the steroid used for the sickest Covid-19 patients. The medical team said the president took his first dose of the drug on Saturday and would remain on it for the "time being."
Conley said that Trump had a high fever late Friday morning and was administered supplemental oxygen for about an hour while at the White House. Later that day, Conley said, Trump appeared to be improving but doctors still felt the best course of action was to move the president to Walter Reed. Trump has remained without a fever since Friday morning and his vital signs are stable, according to the president's doctors.
Conley said that the president’s oxygen levels dipped for a second time Saturday, but it was unclear if Trump was again administered oxygen. When pressed by reporters, Conley said "I’d have to check with the nursing staff." Conley and other members of the president's medical team also dodged questions about what they found on Trump’s lung scans.
Dexamethasone works by reducing inflammation in and around the lungs, which can make it difficult to get enough oxygen into the blood. The treatment is not recommended for mild illness because, in some cases, it can make the infection worse by helping the virus replicate. The NIH recommends against using the steroid for patients who don't require supplemental oxygen.
