Trump's case of COVID-19 was reportedly more serious than the White House admitted


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Former President Donald Trump's COVID-19 fight was more dire than anyone publicly revealed, four people familiar with his condition tell The New York Times.
Amid Trump's coronavirus fight in early October, the president and his top physician insisted his condition was never that severe. But people close to the president say Trump's symptoms were far more serious than he let on, and even had some officials convinced the president would end up on a ventilator, they tell the Times.
Several hours after Trump revealed his positive COVID-19 test, he was helicoptered to Walter Reed Medical Center in what the White House characterized as a cautionary move. But before leaving , Trump was having trouble breathing, and received oxygen twice, Trump's doctor later acknowledged. Still, Trump reportedly resisted hospitalization, and only agreed to go because he was told he could walk to the helicopter if he left that evening. If he'd stayed at the White House, aides reportedly warned Trump that Secret Service may have to carry him out later.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When Trump did get to the hospital, he was found to have lung infiltrates, which appear when the lungs are inflamed and contain substances such as fluid or bacteria, reports the Times. "Trump's blood oxygen level alone was cause for extreme concern, dipping into the 80s," the Times continues. COVID-19 is considered severe when the level falls into the 90s. Those symptoms match more closely with the remdesivir treatment Trump was getting; The experimental drug cocktail has been reserved only for severe cases of COVID-19.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
FDA to re-evaluate effectiveness of common nasal congestion ingredient
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
A flesh-eating bacteria is growing in numbers due to climate change
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
CDC recommends new RSV vaccine for infants under 8 months
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
U.S. health agency advises easing federal marijuana restrictions
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Medicare drug price negotiations start with 1st 10 drugs, pharmaceutical industry lawsuits
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Air pollution may be increasing antibiotic resistance, new research suggests
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
Tick bites could cause an allergy to red meat, CDC says
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
The danger of drinking too much water
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published