President Trump tweeted Monday that he will be discharged after a three-night hospital stint at Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus treatment.
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.
- Between the lines: The president also has a team of doctors and a helicopter on call.
What he's 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.
- Brian Garibaldi, a Johns Hopkins University doctor assisting in Trump's treatment, had hinted Sunday that the president could be discharged while continuing his treatment course.
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.
- Conley said that Trump also received dexamethasone — a steroid that has been found to significantly reduce the risk of death among patients who are on a ventilator but provides more limited benefit for patients on supplemental oxygen.
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.
- White House aides have been dismayed and befuddled by a lack of internal communication on the protocols following Trump's diagnosis.
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