Trump Says He 'Really Learned a Lot' About Covid-19 During Walter Reed Stay

President Donald Trump tweeted out a video on Sunday saying he really learned a lot about Covid-19 while staying at Walter Reed Medical Center. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he’ll leave Walter Reed hospital Monday evening after being treated for Covid-19, calling on Americans not to fear the novel coronavirus. “Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump said Monday in a post on the social media site. “We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” The novel coronavirus has infected more than 7.4 million Americans and has killed more than 210,000 since February, including 475 on Sunday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Trump has been in the hospital since Friday evening, after announcing early that morning he’d tested positive for the virus. He was briefly administered supplemental oxygen at the White House before traveling to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his physician Sean Conley said Sunday. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said earlier Monday that a decision on Trump’s release from the hospital would be made after consultations with medical staff. Trump’s condition on Monday was unclear. Conley will brief reporters at about 3 p.m. in Washington. The White House hadn’t provided any update on Trump’s health in more than 24 hours, and before announcing he’d leave the hospital, Trump himself hadn’t said anything about his condition on Twitter since shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany meanwhile said Monday she tested positive for the novel coronavirus, adding her to a growing list of infected Trump associates that includes First Lady Melania Trump, at least two White House aides who travel with the president and three Republican senators. McEnany said she is not experiencing symptons of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Trump’s health improved over the weekend, said the people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing his condition. The president has been eager to leave the hospital. “We have further evaluations and consultations that have to take place between the president and his medical team,” Meadows said Monday morning on Fox News. “It’s going to be, at the earliest, this afternoon,” he said of the decision on Trump’s possible discharge. With less than a month until Election Day, Trump’s hospitalization has jolted the presidential campaign, forcing him to scrap rallies and other events as polls show him trailing Joe Biden nationally and in swing states. His campaign has launched “Operation MAGA,” referring to his Make America Great Again slogan, to flood the campaign trail with top surrogates like Vice President Mike Pence, Trump’s family and others. Discussion of Trump’s release comes after a weekend of mixed signals from Conley, who on Sunday disclosed for the first time that the president had been given supplemental oxygen and received a medication that’s typically used in more severe Covid-19 patients. Asked why he didn’t disclose during Saturday’s briefing that Trump had received oxygen despite repeated questions about it, Conley said, “I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude” of the team and the president. Trump was hospitalized Friday evening after recording a fever and receiving supplemental oxygen that day. He’d been diagnosed late Thursday, after a close aide, Hope Hicks, also tested positive for the virus. Trump has since been given three different types of therapeutic drugs, including one typically used in more serious cases, but his doctors have said the president is improving and could be released as early as Monday. Meadows said Monday that the president continued to improve overnight, after he made his surprise outing on Sunday, waving to supporters gathered outside from his motorcade. Trump on Monday resumed his campaign via Twitter, with a series of posts urging supporters to vote and reminding them that today is the last day to register in states including Florida and Arizona. “We’re still optimistic that, based on his unbelievable progress,” Trump will be released, Meadows said. “Obviously this is an important day,” he said. “The president continues to improve and is ready to get back to a normal work schedule.” Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.