Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medical Team Watched Trump Closely For Any Negative Side Effects From Malaria Drugs, Doctor Says
The Associated Press: Doctors Kept Close Eye On Trump's Use Of Malaria Drug
The White House medical team kept a close eye on President Donald Trump’s heart rhythms, including at least one electrocardiogram, to watch for potential side effects when he took a two-week course of a malaria drug to try to prevent the coronavirus, his doctor reported Wednesday. “The President completed the regimen safely and without side effects,” Dr. Sean Conley wrote in a report on Trump’s latest physical and his treatment with hydroxychloroquine. (Freking, 6/3)
Reuters: Trump Without Side Effects After Two-Week Course Of Anti-Malaria Drug, White House Doctor Says
Trump, who turns 74 on June 14, is regularly tested for the virus and has been negative each time, according to a summary of results by his physician, Sean Conley. Trump last month began taking hydroxychloroquine, despite questions about its effectiveness, after two White House aides tested positive for the virus. He told reporters at the time he was taking it just in case it helped fend off the virus. Conley said no changes were noticed in Trump’s electrocardiogram test as a result of the drug. (Holland, 6/3)
The Washington Post: Trump’s Doctor Says He ‘Remains Healthy’ As Annual Physical Shows He Gained A Pound But Lowered His Cholesterol
“Following the diagnosis of covid-19 in two West Wing staffers this past May, as a preventative measure, the president took a two-week course of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), with zinc and vitamin D,” Conley wrote in the summary report issued by the White House. “This was done in consultation with his appropriate care team members and close monitoring of the electrocardiogram (EKG) for changes in QT level,” Conley wrote, referring to tests measuring the electrical activity of the heart. (Gearan and Bernstein, 6/3)
NBC News: Trump's Health Is Little Changed Since Last Physical, White House Doctor Says
There has been “no interval change” in Donald Trump’s health over the past year, the top White House doctor said in a summary of the president’s physical examination. “The president remains healthy,” the president's physician, Sean Conley, wrote in a memo released Wednesday. “Overall the president continues to benefit from a multi-disciplinary care team in assessing and promoting his health and wellness as he carries out the duties of the presidency.” (Pettypiece, 6/3)
