Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Was More Severely Ill From Covid Than Revealed To Public: Reports
The New York Times: Trump Was Sicker Than Acknowledged With Covid-19
President Donald J. Trump was sicker with Covid-19 in October than publicly acknowledged at the time, with extremely depressed blood oxygen levels at one point and a lung problem associated with pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, according to four people familiar with his condition. His prognosis became so worrisome before he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that officials believed he would need to be put on a ventilator, two of the people familiar with his condition said. (Weiland, Haberman, Mazzetti and Karni, 2/11)
CNN: Trump's Covid-19 Condition So Concerning That Doctors Considered Putting Him On A Ventilator, Source Confirms
CNN reported in October that when Trump was flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, he not only had trouble breathing, but had received supplemental oxygen. Trump "definitely has had oxygen," the source with knowledge told CNN. The former President's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, waffled on the issue at the time, saying Trump "is not on oxygen right now." When he was asked if Trump had received it at all, Conley would not directly answer, saying, "He has not needed any this morning, today at all." Asked if he had ever been on supplemental oxygen as part of his Covid-19 treatment, Conley said, "Right now he is not," adding, "Yesterday and today, he was not on oxygen." (Collins and Acosta, 2/11)
Business Insider: Trump Reportedly Developed Inflamed Lungs And Low Blood Oxygen Levels During Bout Of COVID-19, Indicating He Was Far Sicker Than The White House Revealed
Trump developed lung infiltrates, which can include bacteria or fluid in the lungs. His blood oxygen level also dropped into the 80s, while the CDC says normal oxygen saturation is between 95 and 100%.The White House, however, never revealed that Trump exhibited these symptoms, which indicate that he suffered from a much more severe case of COVID-19 than was previously known. Two sources told the Times that officials believed Trump would have to be put on a ventilator before he was hospitalized on October 2. (Relman, 2/11)
