Washington — President Trump says he is leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening, three days after he was admitted to receive treatment for COVID-19.
“I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good!” he wrote on Twitter. “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 virus has killed nearly 210,000 Americans since the pandemic began. The president has received aggressive treatment since testing positive for the coronavirus last week, including a dose on Saturday of a steroidal drug meant to treat severe cases of COVID-19.
News of his planned discharge came minutes before the White House physician was set to provide a briefing at 3 p.m. on his condition. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced Monday she has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the latest official to contract the virus as it spreads through the White House.
“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” she said in a statement posted to Twitter. McEnany said she did not know of Hope Hicks’ diagnosis before she held a White House press briefing last Thursday. She said she will quarantine and work remotely.
McEnany briefed reporters at the White House as recently as Sunday, removing her mask to do so.
Mr. Trump made a surprise trip out of the hospital on Sunday evening, riding in the back of an SUV to wave to well-wishers who have flocked to the medical facility, a move that came amid questions about the severity of his illness and the risk of infection to those around him.
Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said Mr. Trump’s doctors approved the outing and “appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE.”
The president’s drive-by came hours after his medical team attempted to clear up confusion about his condition after providing limited — and conflicting — information Saturday. Questions remain as to the severity of Mr. Trump’s health status, as his doctors revealed he was given a dose of dexamethasone, a steroid, on Saturday after two episodes in which his oxygen levels dropped.
Dexamethasone is recommended by the World Health Organization for COVID-19 patients who are “critically ill.” Mr. Trump also remains on the five-day course of remdesivir, which has been found to shorten recovery time for patients hospitalized with the coronavirus.
