Trump will be discharged from the hospital, but he 'may not entirely be out of the woods yet,' his doctors say

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Trump will be discharged from the hospital, but he 'may not entirely be out of the woods yet,' his doctors say
President Donald Trump poses for a White House photograph to show him working during his stay at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.Tia Dufour/The White House via Getty Images
  • President Donald Trump is set to be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after his condition improved significantly following treatments, his doctors said.
  • Trump tested positive for COVID-19 late last week, though a precise timeline of his infection remains unclear.
  • Before the doctors spoke to reporters, Trump tweeted that he would get out of the hospital at 6:30 p.m.
  • Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, did not answer questions about Trump's test results or whether Trump was contagious.
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President Donald Trump is set to head back to the White House on Monday after being cleared by his doctors.

In a press briefing, Trump's doctors said his condition had rapidly improved during his stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and following several therapeutic COVID-19 treatments.

Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, said that while the president "may not entirely be out of the woods yet," he was healthy enough to leave the facility by the end of the day.

"The team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly his clinical status, support the president's safe return home," Conley said.

Conley said Trump would be taken to the White House medical unit, "where he'll be surrounded by world-class medical care, 24/7."

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Conley also referred to Trump's tweet before the briefing in which he announced he would be discharged at 6:30 p.m. "Don't be afraid of Covid," Trump wrote of the virus that has killed over 209,000 Americans.

Trump tested positive for COVID-19 late last week, though a precise timeline of his infection remains unclear.

When asked about the last time Trump tested negative for the coronavirus, Conley demurred. "I don't want to go backwards," he said.

The president received a steroid usually reserved for serious coronavirus cases and was given supplemental oxygen at least twice. Conley shrugged off concerns that Trump's treatments could have side effects.

"You've seen the videos and now the tweets. And you'll see him shortly. You know, he's back," Conley said.

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Conley did not specify whether Trump was contagious or whether his movements would be restricted upon returning to the White House, saying only that he would still be under some sort of medical supervision.

Trump could still be susceptible to further COVID-19 symptoms. The 10-day mark usually serves as an indicator of whether a case is severe or receding.

"We're in a bit of uncharted territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course," Conley said. "So we're looking to this weekend. If we can get through to Monday with him remaining the same or improving, better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh of relief."

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