Washington: 16 hours after he announced that he had tested positive for COVID19, POTUS Trump emerged from the White house at 6:16 p.m. ET for his first public appearance but this time for a departure to Walter Reed Hospital – He displayed no outward symptoms but reports say he was feverish. He was wearing a mask and a navy blue suit. Chief of staff Mark Meadows, also wearing a mask, followed him aboard.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. “President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady.”
An administration official said Pence was working from his residence at the Naval Observatory and remains in good health.
At the hospital a few minutes later, Trump waved to the media and gave a thumbs up but did not speak.
After his arrival, the President posted an 18-second video to his Twitter account, seeking to reassure the American people he is doing “very well” after his coronavirus diagnosis.
“I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. I’m going to Walter Reed Hospital. I think I’m doing very well. We’re going to make sure that things work out. The first lady is doing very well. So thank you very much, I appreciate it. I will never forget it. Thank you,” he said.
The situation is grave. Elections are exactly a month away and a president has rarely spent a day in a hospital. The development threw the country’s leadership in turmoil and lent new uncertainty to the unfolding presidential race.
Moments before news broke that Trump was heading to Walter Reed, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he was suspending negative advertising for the time being. Sources told CNN, the President was alarmed after he developed a fever.
A Trump adviser said there is no reason for concern about the President’s health. “This is serious,” the adviser said. The adviser went on to describe Trump as very tired, very fatigued, and having some trouble breathing.
A source familiar with the situation said White House officials have serious concerns about Trump’s health and a top administration official told CNN that Trump is “OK for now, but our fear is that things can change quick.”
A third source said the President’s condition is worse than first lady Melania Trump’s.
Still, there has been no transfer of power to Vice President Mike Pence, said White House spokeswoman Alyssa Farah. “The President is in charge,” she said.
A White House official on Friday evening stressed there is no reason for the public to be alarmed about Trump’s condition.
The official acknowledged that Trump is dealing with some symptoms of the virus and is “fatigued.” But, according to the official, the President’s condition is not deteriorating. The official said there are plans to keep the public updated on Trump’s health over the coming days.
Trump Administered the Regeneron antibody cocktail
Trump has had a fever since Friday morning, a person familiar with the matter said, though an official said the fever remains consistent with the White House’s description of “mild symptoms.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Trump’s physician wrote in a memo he “remains fatigued but in good spirits.”
“He’s being evaluated by a team of experts, and together we’ll be making recommendations to the President and First Lady in regards to next best steps,” Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley wrote.
He said Trump had been administered a Regeneron polyclonal antibody cocktail and has been taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin, and daily aspirin.
The decision to give Trump an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail illustrates how concerned the White House may be about his Covid-19 diagnosis, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, CNN medical analyst, and professor at George Washington University told CNN on Friday.
“The big news here is that he got an experimental drug. He got a drug not approved by the FDA,” said Reiner, who has treated former Vice President Dick Cheney.
The memo also said Melania Trump remains well with only a mild cough and headache, and the remainder of the first family is well and have tested negative.
The President disclosed in the early morning hours on Friday that he and the first lady had tested positive for coronavirus.
inputs: CNN
