Washington — The president’s physician released a new memo providing an update on President Trump’s health, which has been closely monitored in the days since the White House announced that the president had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician who has been leading his care, reported that Mr. Trump told him he feels “great,” and said that the president has been symptom-free for over 24 hours.
“The president this morning says ‘I feel great!'” Conley said in his memo. “His physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range.”
Conley said Mr. Trump has been fever-free for four days and has not shown any symptoms for over 24 hours, adding that the president “has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization.”
NEW: Memo from @realDonaldTrump’s physician says the president’s vital signs remain stable and in normal range as he recovers from #COVID19
It adds that Trump has been without fever for over four days and symptom free for over 24 hours pic.twitter.com/W6eQyaEN8k
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) October 7, 2020
He also said tests on Monday showed the president has “detectable levels” of coronavirus antibodies, an improvement from last Thursday, when antibodies were undetectable. Mr. Trump received a dose of an experimental antibody cocktail developed by the company Regeneron early on in his care, a drug that is not widely available.
Conley has come under fire for not being fully transparent about the president’s health in recent days. On Saturday, he initially refused to say whether Mr. Trump had received supplemental oxygen, and then confirmed that the president did receive oxygen treatment on Friday at the White House. He also declined to say when the president last tested negative for the virus, saying, “I don’t want to move backwards.”
On Sunday, Conley said he initially declined to say whether the president received supplemental oxygen “to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, his course of illness has had.”
The president has been treated with dexamethasone, a powerful steroid recommended for use in severe cases of COVID-19 which can carry serious psychological side effects. Conley said Monday that the president hasn’t exhibited any of these side effects. He also repeatedly declined to provide specifics about the president’s lung condition. Conley’s memo on Wednesday didn’t say whether the president continues to take the steroid.
The White House released an earlier memo on Tuesday saying the president is doing “extremely well” and experiencing “no symptoms.”
The president spent the weekend at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and was released on Monday, returning to the White House. The White House is making preparations for the president to return to work in the Oval Office as early as Wednesday.