President Donald Trump was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Friday, where he began remdesivir therapy after testing positive for COVID-19. The president's physician said he required no supplemental oxygen at the time and was resting comfortably.
The president tweeted an 18-second video shortly after he arrived at Walter Reed in Bethesda, Md. "I think I'm doing very well, but we're going to make sure that things work out," he said.
The White House has said President Trump has mild symptoms of the virus, and officials have characterized the hospital stay as a precautionary measure. Aides said President Trump's symptoms of cough, congestion and fever worsened throughout the day Friday, according to The New York Times.
The president's physician, Sean Conley, DO, released a statement detailing the treatment President Trump received Friday after disclosing his positive COVID-19 test results and before his trip to Walter Reed. "Following PCR-confirmation of the president's diagnosis, as a precautionary measure he received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail. He completed the infusion without incident. In addition to the polyclonal antibodies, the president has been taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin."
The first lady, Melania Trump, who also tested positive, "remains well with only a mild cough and headache," Dr. Conley said.
The White House is now in the center of a major contact tracing effort, with many people close to President Trump or who had been in his vicinity sharing their COVID-19 test results Friday.
President Trump's close adviser Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday. Kellyanne Conway, the former senior White House aide who attended debate preparation sessions with the president earlier this week, disclosed positive test results Friday night. Bill Stepien, President Trump's campaign manager, also tested positive as first reported by Politico.
Other members of the first family — Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Barron Trump — tested negative Friday, according to Dr. Conley. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, along with his wife, Jill Biden, EdD, also tested negative. Same for Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, according to the New York Times.
Even with negative test results, the CDC advises anyone who was exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.