President Donald Trump will remain at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for a few days after his positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
The president’s physician made known, through a letter shared by White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, that Trump was given the first dose of the antiviral drug Remdesivir in an effort to treat the coronavirus infection.
White House physician Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley noted in a letter on Friday evening that Trump, 74, is “doing very well.”
“He is not requiring any supplemental oxygen, but in consultation with specialists we have elected to initiate Remdesivir therapy,” the letter read. “He has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably.”
See the letter shared late Friday below:
An update from President @realDonaldTrump’s physician: pic.twitter.com/8xzB8FShkd
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) October 3, 2020
Remdesivir, a prominent experimental drug, is made by Gilead Sciences. According to a study published in July, conducted with nearly 400 patients, roughly 74% of patients who took Remdesivir recovered by 14 days while 59% “of patients receiving standard of care” recovered by day 14. It also showed that nearly 8% of those treated with Remdesivir died by 14 days compared to roughly 12% who did not take the drug.
The news of the dose of Remdesivir comes shortly after the president’s physician said in a letter on Friday that Trump was given a dose of Regeneron. Conley also noted at that time that the president was taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin.
As of Friday afternoon, Trump remained “fatigue” but “in good spirits,” as Conley wrote in the letter. He also noted that First Lady Melania Trump — who also tested positive for COVID-19 — had “only a mild cough and headache,” as of Friday afternoon. The rest of the First Family tested negative for COVID-19.
Donald Trump was taken to Walter Reed on Friday, where he will continue his work and stay for a couple of days as a precautionary measure.
The president tweeted on Friday night, “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!” He also posted a video message on Twitter where he thanked people for their “tremendous support” and that the first lady is “doing very well.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Vice President Mike Pence, who would be next in line for president if Donald Trump became very ill, tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday.
