Dr. Qanta Ahmed: Trump COVID-19 hospitalization doesn’t mean he’s seriously ill — I expect his full recovery

The decision to hospitalize President Trump on Friday night for several days after he tested positive for COVID-19 appears to be a wise one, taken out of an abundance of caution. It shouldn’t lead anyone to conclude he is seriously ill at this time.

As a pulmonologist and intensive care physician who has treated COVID-19 patients at NYU Langone Health, where I practice, I know full well that the disease caused by the coronavirus can be quite serious — and fatal in some cases. But importantly, I also know that the vast majority of COVID-19 patients recover from the disease.

The statistics tell the story. The confirmed death toll in the U.S. from COVID-19 is 208,520 at this writing — certainly a tragic toll. But there have been more than 7.3 million confirmed cases of the disease in this country. The overwhelming majority of patients infected with the coronavirus have fully recovered.

It is my heartfelt prayer that President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who has also tested positive, will be among those who recover from COVID-19. The odds are certainly in their favor.

The president is not and never has been my patient. I have never examined him and I don’t have access to his medical records. But based on news reports and statements from the White House, it appears to me that the main reason he has been hospitalized is because of the importance of his position as leader of our nation, rather than because of the seriousness of his condition.

President Trump is now reported by the White House to be mildly symptomatic with fatigue. He walked independently and with a strong stride to the helicopter taking him to Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Maryland on Friday night, and was not receiving oxygen. He spoke on a brief video shortly before he headed for the hospital and did not appear short of breath.

This leads me to believe that if Donald Trump was still a businessman he would not be hospitalized right now. But the president of the United States requires the highest possible level of health care, with every precaution taken. He will be able to get whatever he needs at Walter Reed, so taking him there makes sense.

As president, Trump has access to the best medical minds in the nation in infectious diseases, pulmonary critical care medicine, and immunology. He will very likely be given the most sophisticated medical tests to diagnose the impact of COVID-19 on his body.

We can be absolutely certain that the president's blood oxygen levels are being readily assessed and frequently or possibly continually monitored, since many COVID-19 patients who fall seriously ill develop low oxygen levels even before symptoms are apparent. If there is a need, he can receive low-flow oxygen and his response can be carefully assessed.

Decisions that the president’s physicians are taking now are aimed at reducing the viral burden on his body as quickly as possible. This can include the use of experimental treatments that doctors believe will be helpful.

The Boston Globe reported Friday that President Trump’s physician has provided medical records that confirm the president is 6-foot-3 and weighed 244 pounds in May. This would give him a calculated body mass index of 30.4, which just crosses into the threshold of Class I obesity.

Obesity is a recognized risk factor that can sometimes lead to more severe coronavirus infections. In fact, some of the first definitive data on outcomes in hospitalized obese coronavirus patients actually came from NYU Langone Health, the hospital I am affiliated with.

In addition to being overweight, President Trump is 74. His age puts him at higher risk than people who have not yet reached senior citizen status.

But it’s important to remember that despite his obesity and age, the odds are extremely favorable for President Trump’s full and complete recovery for three reasons: His disease was detected very early due to the frequent testing he receives; he has access to extraordinary medical care and experimental treatments as announced, including receiving the drug Regeneron; and apart from COVID-19, he has been reported to be in good overall health.

The president is publicly documented to be on two medicines for high cholesterol and on aspirin. This is consistent with good preventive medicine at maintaining a healthy lipid profile, which is important in many older men and is nothing unusual.

It is clear to anyone observing President Trump in public that he has tremendous energy and stamina, and keeps a rigorous schedule. Fortunately, he has no known history of diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic kidney disease — all risk factors for worsening the course of COVID-19.

The president does not take any drugs to suppress his immune system, does not have cancer, and does not have any lung disease or other serious illness that makes it very difficult for his body to fight off the coronavirus. These factors all point to a high likelihood of his recovery from COVID-19.

The president also benefits by the fact that 10 months into the coronavirus pandemic, doctors and medical researchers know a lot more about the coronavirus and COVID-19 than we did last winter. As a result, there are now better treatments, improved outcomes, and a lower fatality rate caused by the disease.

Doctors understand that no specific treatments have been found to be effective in the initial stage of COVID-19, when patients experience no symptoms or only mild symptoms like the ones the president is reported to be experiencing.

Strategies to reduce the viral burden include convalescent plasma, as documented in a study published in Journal of the American Medical Association in August. The plasma comes from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and who have produced antibodies in their blood that can fight the coronavirus.

The study showed that in those patients with severe cases of COVID-19 receiving convalescent plasma, 91.3% experienced clinical improvement — compared to 68.2% of patients not receiving convalescent plasma.

The study also showed that convalescent plasma is the fastest way to clear the body of coronavirus infection. The coronavirus was undetectable within 72 hours in patients participating in the study who were treated with convalescent plasma.

However, convalescent plasma requires invasive monitoring and the insertion of intravenous lines, and may also cause patients to experience allergic reactions.

This is why Regeneron — containing genetically engineered antibodies — is so exciting. Now a trial drug, the fact that it is being used to treat President Trump shows his physicians are thinking of the most imaginative strategies possible to restore him to good health.

We are likely to see that Regeneron will become approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a coronavirus treatment for more people who are infected if clinical trials show promise for the experimental drug.

Targeting the coronavirus with an antibody that neutralizes the virus — as Regeneron does —and renders it incapable of entering human cells will immediately lower the viral burden. This will protect the body from the intense immune response to the virus that has made so many people severely ill.

Doctors are clearly aiming to clear the president’s body of coronavirus as quickly as possible and reduce the chances of his body responding with an intense immune storm that could have more widespread impact.

When the president ultimately recovers — and all indications at this time point to his full recovery — his body will develop its own innate immunity to the coronavirus. This should give him sufficient protection from a repeat infection until vaccines likely become available in the coming months.

One thing is clear: President Trump’s own health will now benefit from the farsighted programs he launched to battle the coronavirus. These include Operation Warp Speed, the most rapid vaccine development program in history; the use of the Defense Production Act to require companies to manufacture items needed to protect Americans from COVID-19; and massive funding for the development of drugs and a coronavirus vaccine.

Regardless of political party, I know that the American people join me in praying for and wishing our president and first lady a full recovery and their doctors every success. I have unwavering confidence and faith in the abilities of doctors to treat both President and Melania Trump in the short term, and to develop effective vaccines and ever-more effective treatments for COVID-19 to protect us all in the months ahead.

 

Trump White House, Congress facing unclear coronavirus implications

President Trump, several top White House aides and Republican lawmakers have tested positive for the coronavirus, -- likely restructuring the final weeks of the presidential campaign, the race to confirm Trump's Supreme Court pick and even the day-to-day workings of the federal government.

In the days before he tested positive for the virus, President Trump kept a busy schedule that included campaign stops, fundraisers, White House events and the first presidential debate against Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Then early Friday came news that Trump and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans. Before the day was over, Trump was flying to Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland to be treated for mild symptoms of the virus.

"Going well, I think!" the president tweeted from the hospital late Friday, exhibiting his trademark sense of humor. "Thank you to all. LOVE!!!"

But the president was expected to be off the campaign trail until he recovers, leaving the stumping to Vice President Mike Pence and other surrogates.

Biden was also thrown by the president’s diagnosis, pulling attack ads against Trump and striking a more unifying tone after testing negative for the virus.

Trump plans to continue his day-to-day duties from the presidential suite at Walter Reed while he convalesces for the next few days, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.

After Trump entered the hospital, news of more positive diagnoses of people close to the president emerged. Those facing troubling news included Kellyanne Conway, until recently the president's White House counselor, and Bill Stepien, manager of the Trump 2020 Campaign.

Deputy campaign manager Justin Clark will oversee the Trump 2020 headquarters in Arlington, Va., while Stepien works remotely, Fox News has confirmed.

Trump’s diagnosis also called into question the remaining two presidential debates, set for Oct. 15 in Miami and Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tenn. Whether Trump will still be in quarantine on those dates is uncertain.

Politicians and pundits have floated whether the debates may be canceled or possibly done virtually. Fox News’ Brett Baier said it’s even possible the president could be well enough to travel in-person to the Miami debate if he recovers by then.

As of Friday, the vice presidential debate was scheduled to go forward as planned next Wednesday with Pence and vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris, who have both tested negative.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday evening it would be “irresponsible and dangerous” to move forward with a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Oct. 12 after two Republican senators on the panel – Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah, confirmed they have tested positive for the virus.

However, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he intends to go forward with Barrett's hearing as planned and senators will be allowed to join virtually if necessary.

Others who have tested positive include White House senior aide Hope Hicks and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

Many of those close to the president who have tested positive attended a White House Rose Garden event last Saturday announcing Barrett's nomination. The event was not socially distanced and mostly maskless -- and it remained possible that more attendees could test positive in the coming days.

 

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State's attorney from Jussie Smollett case backs out of debate due to 'Trump-like' name calling

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced Wednesday that she pulled out of a campaign debate due to attacks from her Republican rival.

Judge Pat O’Brien last month called Foxx a “social worker, not a prosecutor,” at a fiery debate between the two candidates.

Cook County, which is home to Chicago and many of its surrounding suburbs, is the second-most populated county in the U.S. with 5.15 million residents, trailing only Los Angeles County in California.d

“We learned during the recent Ed board interviews, that the State’s Attorney participated in with Mr. O’Brien, that he will instead use the time for Trump-like name-calling and fear-mongering,” Foxx spokesperson Alex Sims told the Chicago Tribune in a statement. “During this nationwide crisis, she will not sit across the stage from a Republican that exploits tragedy to win a campaign.”

A spokesperson for O'Brien told Fox News that Foxx is avoiding debates because she cannot defend her policies that "protect criminals more than crime victims."

A fifth debate is scheduled for Oct. 25, but it is not known whether that will be held.

Foxx, who has come under fire for her handling of the recent wave of violence and crime, made headlines in March 2019 after she dropped charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging an alleged racist and homophobic attack against himself.

Smollett, who was neither required to plead guilty to any crimes nor admit wrongdoing, was ordered to perform 15 hours of community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond as restitution to the city.

The City of Chicago said it paid $130,106.15 in police overtime after beefing up its staff “solely due to Mr. Smollett's false statements.”

Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones contributed to this story.

 

Haley criticizes Democrats for ‘throwing stones’ at Amy Coney Barrett

BEDFORD, N.H. – Nikki Haley says some of the incoming fire directed at Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is unfair and criticized Democratic senators “who refuse to even meet with her.”

Haley, a former Republican governor of South Carolina who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the first two years of President Trump’s tenure in the White House, also urged Trump to “let Joe Biden talk” at the upcoming second presidential debate in Miami because she claimed the Democratic presidential nominee “steps in it” when he talks.

It wasn't clear, however, if President Trump's overnight coronavirus diagnosis would affect his plans to participate in the next debate.

Haley, who’s considered a potential contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, told Fox News during an interview Thursday while campaigning for Trump and fellow Republicans in the battleground state of New Hampshire, that “it would be foolish to look at a presidential race in 2024 when a year is a lifetime in politics.”

During Haley’s trip to New Hampshire, Barrett continued meeting with with senators ahead of the start of her upcoming confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Barrett, a conservative federal appeals court judge, was nominated by the president eight days after the death last month of liberal-leaning Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a trailblazer and fierce advocate for gender equality and civil rights.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, right, meets with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at the Capitol, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020 in Washington. (Associated Press)

Barrett has faced criticism by many on the left for her stances on the national health care law and abortion, and has taken income fire from some over her faith. Some Democratic senators - furious with the push by the president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to rush through Barrett’s confirmation with just weeks to go until Election Day on Nov. 3 and with early in-person and absentee voting underway in half the country – are refusing to meet with Barrett.

But Haley came to Barrett’s defense.

“I think it’s really hard for the left to criticize her because she has such a stellar reputation, whether it’s been as a professor, top of her class, work ethic wise. Everyone that’s ever worked with her has nothing but great things to say,” Haley highlighted.

And she argued that “it’s really is bad when you see the Democrats say they’re the party of women but the first woman that’s nominated right after RBG, they’re going to start throwing stones at her. How do you throw stones at a reputation like that. She’s a wife, she’s a mom, she’s a fantastic, lawyer. She’s been a great judge I think she’s going to be an amazing Supreme Court justice.”

Haley said some of the criticism leveled at Barrett is unfair

“Vet her properly,” she urged. “You have Democrats who refuse to even meet with her. On behalf of your constituents, you need to be meeting with her. But if you’ve got questions, ask her about it. Because I think when you hear what she has to say, she believes in the constitution. She believes that she should follow it accurately and without any opinions and I think they need to give her the opportunity to say that.”

Haley also had some advice for the president, who’s been heavily criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for his in-your-face approach to Tuesday’s first of three presidential debates with Biden.

If she had a chance to coach Trump ahead of the next debate, Haley said she’d urge the president to “let Joe Biden talk because when he talks, he steps in it, and that’s what the American people need to see.”

Haley emphasized that voters need to know the former vice president’s “answer on expanding the Supreme Court. Is he going to do it? Is he not going to do? Does he support the Green New Deal? Does he not support the Green New Deal? Who would his Supreme Court nominees be? All of those questions need to be answered. He does not want to have to answer them. So the president needs to let him speak a little bit, get it out there and the American people will decide.”

Haley spoke with Fox News after headlining a campaign event for New Hampshire 1st Congressional District GOP nominee Matt Mowers. Later, she’s was the main attraction at a gathering for Republican Senate nominee Bryant Corky Messner. And on Wednesday evening, she teamed up with former Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire to help raise money for state House of Representatives Republicans.

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, a former GOP governor of South Carolina, headlines a campaign event for congressional candidate Matt Mowers, the Republican nominee in New Hampshire's 1st District, in Bedford, N.H. on Oct. 1, 2020.

In her home state of South Carolina, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing the toughest re-election of his long career on Capitol Hill. He’s been outraised in the battle for campaign cash by Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, and the latest polls indicate the race deadlocked in the long time red-leaning state.

Haley said that “we’ve never seen this kind of money flow into South Carolina” and highlighted “what we want South Carolinians to see is we don’t want New Yorkers and people from other states telling us who our senators should be and they’ve literally funneled millions of dollars into South Carolina to try and fight for a candidate who no one in South Carolina knows of.”

She said that “Lindsey has fought for South Carolina. Now we’re fighting for him. He’s going to take on more heat because he’s the chairman of Judiciary (Committee) and this Supreme Court nominee’s going to go through there” and she predicted that “the people of South Carolina have Lindsay’s back and I think he’s going to pull it through.”

As for what’s next for Haley, the former ambassador and governor demurred.

Asked if would be open to serving again in a Trump administration if the president wins re-election, Haley said “that’s a conversation we could have at that time.”

And stopping in New Hampshire – the state that for a century’s held the first primary in the race for the White House – sparked more speculation about Haley’s possible national ambitions in 2024.

Asked about a potential run for the White House in the next presidential election cycle, Haley told Fox News that “I’ve always taken things a year at a time. That’s just a fact. I think it would be foolish to look at a presidential race in 2024 when a year is a lifetime in politics. So many things can change. So many things can happen. So what I’ve always done is take it a year at a time. Right now I’m fighting for as many candidates and the president as I can in 2020 and we’ll decide what 2021 brings.”

 

Trump critics seize on president's positive coronavirus test to mock, lecture

While many on social media sent well wishes to President Trump and first lady Melania Trump early Friday after the president confirmed they had both tested positive for the coronavirus, others took the time to criticize or make negative comments.

"Tonight will reveal where we all think the line is comedically," director Judd Apatow, who is known for movies like "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgon" tweeted about the likely prospect the president's diagnosis would be fodder for jokes.

"Maybe you shouldn't have mocked people for wearing masks," screenwriter Randi Mayem Singer, who wrote "Mrs. Doubtfire," commented on Twitter. "Maybe you shouldn't have encouraged packed crowds. Maybe you shouldn't have told the CDC what to report. Maybe you don't deserve to be POTUS."

She added, "If that vile, science-denying, mask-discouraging, crowd-encouraging SOB put Joe Biden or his family at risk I may lose my mind. You?"

"Just learned that Hope Hicks tested positive for Covid," actress and frequent Trump critic Bette Midler tweeted before the president confirmed he had tested positive. "Timing’s so interesting. I guess Trump’s quarantining will mean no rallies, and no more debates. Convenient. It’s awful to always think the worst, but after four years of relentless lying? Can’t be helped. No trust left."

Actor and director Rob Reiner tweeted, "That damn hoax."

"Twitter was created for tonight," "The Ellen Show" executive producer Andy Lassner wrote.

"Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill tweeted that if there's anything positive that could come from the president's testing positive, "it would be his followers reevaluating their opinions. If they will now accept a lockdown, social distancing & mandatory mask-wearing, we could crush the virus like we should have from the start." He hashtagged the post #ButIAlsoBelieveInTheToothFairy.

Attorney George Conway, a frequent Trump critic, atttempted to make a political point.

"He failed to protect the country," Conway wrote. "He couldn't even protect himself."

Anti-Trump intelligence commentator Malcolm Nance seemed to already be preparing for Trump to leave office.

'THINK ABOUT IT," Nance wrote. "OMG. If both Trump & Pence go down. @TeamPelosi could be President!"

Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to the Atlantic, said he was in the debate hall on Tuesday. "The entire Trump entourage came in w masks, took them off as soon as they sat down, refused to put them on when asked by Cleveland Clinic personnel," he tweeted. "Flouting defiantly the law & rules.

"I hope he makes a full recovery. I hope everyone around him avoids long-term health issues. I'm still going to point out he's a fool for catching it after six months of mocking people for wearing masks," gun control activist and Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg tweeted in conversation with broadcaster Piers Morgan who was calling out those who wish the president ill.

"Mr. President—if these reports are confirmed, I wish you and the First Lady well," former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro tweeted.

 

President Trump, first lady test positive for coronavirus, set to quarantine at White House

White House Adviser Hope Hicks

President Trump announced early Friday that both he and the First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine at the White House.

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19,” the president tweeted. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately.”

He added: “We will get through this TOGETHER!”

A White House source told Fox News shortly after the president’s tweet that he and the first lady are “fine” and are in the quarantine process at the White House.

Melania Trump also tweeted, "As too many Americans have done this year, @POTUS & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together."

Dr. Sean P. Conley, the president’s physician, also confirmed Trump and the first lady’s positive COVID-19 tests.

“This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-coV-2- virus,” Conley said. “The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”

“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,” he continued.

He added: “Rest assured I expected the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence early Friday tweeted, offering prayers for the president and first lady.

"Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump," Pence tweeted. "We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania."

It is unclear when the vice president and second lady were last tested for COVID-19.

A spokesperson for Pence did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

A White House official told Fox News on Friday that most West Wing officials and staff who are in close proximity to the president are tested for COVID-19 daily.

Another White House official told Fox News that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tested negative for COVID-19 in his most recent test. That test, according to the official, was conducted as part of normal protocol.

The president and first lady’s positive coronavirus tests came just hours after news surfaced that senior White House adviser Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a source familiar, Hicks -- who has been traveling with the president this week -- began showing symptoms of coronavirus Wednesday night, either during or after Trump's Duluth campaign event. She was quarantined aboard Air Force One on the way back and tested positive on Thursday morning, the source said.

"Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19," Trump tweeted late Thursday. "Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!"

In a statement, White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president “takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously.”

“White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidelines and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” Deere said.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted that "the strength of the entire country is with President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS."

"America stands united. Our country stands strong," McEnany tweeted. "Your President will continue to put the People first!"

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus would also wish Trump a "full and speedy recovery."

"My best wishes to President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS for a full and speedy recovery," he tweeted on Friday morning.

Chancellor Angela Merkel would also send her best wishes to Donald and Melania Trump, according to a tweet by Steffen Seibert, a government spokesman for Germany.

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Fox News' John Roberts, Peter Doocy and Pat Ward contributed to this report. 

 

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