President Trump is fever-free and in “exceptionally good spirits,” doctors said Saturday, hours after the president was flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center following the announcement that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. It’s the most serious health crisis a president has faced since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
Dr. Sean Conley said Mr. Trump was not on oxygen and has started treatment with remdesivir, a drug that has shortened the recovery time for some patients with the virus.
Mr. Trump tweeted an update from the hospital, where the White House says he will spend the next few days. “Going well, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!” he wrote late Friday.
White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany said earlier that Mr. Trump had “mild symptoms” and was being transferred to Walter Reed “out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts.” White House sources said Mr. Trump had suffered from a low-grade fever.
On Saturday, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who participated in debate prep with President Trump, announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Late Friday, former Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conyway said she had tested positive for the coronavirus. His campaign manager Bill Stepien has also been infected.
They join two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, GOP chair Ronna McDaniel and longtime aide Hope Hicks in testing positive for the virus.
Vice President Mike Pence, who would take over for Mr. Trump if he were incapacitated or deemed unable to carry out the duties of the presidency, said Friday he had tested negative. He tested negative again on Saturday.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who was on stage with Mr. Trump at the first presidential debate on Tuesday, said Friday he and his wife also tested negative. The Biden campaign halted its negative ads on Friday, and Biden tweeted a call for unity.
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Fin Gomez and Tucker Reals contributed to this report.
