Coronavirus: Donald Trump remains under scrutiny in hospital

US President Donald Trump stays in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus. His condition is being monitored.  

Doctors doubt that he could be discharged from the hospital on Monday as questions prevail over his condition. 

Trump’s doctors said earlier on the weekend that the president continued to improve and might be discharged as soon as Monday.

The White House physician Dr. Sean Conley revealed that Trump’s oxygen level decreased twice since his diagnosis, and he was started on dexamethasone.

Dr. Conley further said that the president was given extra oxygen at least once after testing positive.

Dr. Conley said while speaking at a news conference at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center close to Washington DC that Mr. Trump’s oxygen level dropped for the first time on Friday morning at the White House.

He added that Trump had faced a high fever, and an oxygen level below 94% – a healthy person’s level is 95% or higher.

He also said the second episode happened on Saturday when the level decreased to 93%. He said, “it was very limited”.

The team then decided to treat the president with dexamethasone, which is shown in studies to improve survival for patients in hospital with severe Covid-19.

“Given the timeline where [Mr. Trump] is in the course of illness, we’re trying to maximize everything that we can do for him… We decided that in this case the potential benefits early on in the course probably outweighed any risks at this time,” Dr. Conley said.

The President made a surprise public appearance on Sunday in a drive-past to greet supporters. 

Hakeem Jeffries, chairman of the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, tweeted, “More than 205,000 Americans are dead. We need leadership. Not photo ops.”

Trump waved to his supporters from behind the glass of a sealed car after tweeting that he would leave Walter Reed hospital to pay a “surprise visit” to “patriots” outside. He was wearing a mask.

A doctor at the hospital mocked the president’s motorcade ride because of the infection risk inside the car. 

Dr. James Philips tweeted, “That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of Covid-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures.”