Trump says he feels great. My experience — as a doctor and patient — says that might not last. I saw a reflection of myself in March, when I was infected with covid-19: short-winded after walking up a flight of steps. Trying to hide the shortness of breath and stifle a cough. Telling myself it was mostly over; that I had been through the worst and was on the mend. ............ This is a menacing virus, with sometimes misleading ups and terrifying downs. Symptoms come and go, only to return again, and again: fever, aches, chills, exhaustion. ............. The natural course of covid-19 in an infected person is summed up in one word: unpredictable. .......... To his advantage, he’s been treated with a regimen that no one else in the world has received, two antiviral agents (remdesivir and Regeneron’s dual monoclonal antibody cocktail) along with a potent anti-inflammatory steroid, dexamethasone. ............. I suppose the president is thinking this novel approach will stop the virus in its tracks, freeing him from the usual ravages of infection experienced by most everyone else who has suffered through symptoms of this horrific disease. It’s hard to know with a test panel composed of a single person. ........... More likely, the president will have a shortened course of symptoms but, like most covid-19 patients, will experience moments of seemingly good health, followed by stretches where his energy vanishes and he needs to lie down. This is what covid-19 infection does. It’s like a dog with a toy, shaking it vigorously for a few moments, resting for a while, and then shaking vigorously again. The beast — in this case, it’s a beast — doesn’t let go until it’s good and ready. ............. I would expect the president to struggle this week with waxing and waning symptoms of covid-19: paroxysms of coughing, shortness of breath after mild exertion, headaches, moments of “fuzzy thinking,” intermittent fever and profound episodes of fatigue. The fatigue is particularly vexing and is the one symptom that likely will linger for weeks after he has recovered from the others. .............. but for sure, we all need to respect this virus: how it is transmitted, what it does to those people it infects and how it leaves countless family members bereaved after it has taken a loved one to the grave. ........ avoid crowds, keep physical distance and, for goodness’ sake, wear a mask. Even — or perhaps especially — on the South Portico.
White House signals stronger coronavirus precautions, but Trump continues to resist was defiant — lobbying to return immediately to work in the Oval Office, discussing an address to the nation as early as Tuesday evening and clamoring to get back on the campaign trail in the coming days. ........... the president also falsely claimed that perhaps he was “immune” to the virus, said he felt “better than 20 years ago” and urged the public to “get out there.” ............ The result is a bifurcated culture in Trump’s White House and broader orbit, with informal and halting steps toward more rigorous health measures often undermined or upended by the president. .......... There has been minimal staffing in the White House since Trump’s diagnosis ......... Advisers are already planning campaign events with large crowds, including bus tours, airport hangar rallies, speeches at local centers and more ........ Trump falling to 16 points behind Biden, who leads 57 to 41 percent. .......... the coronavirus — and not taking it seriously enough — remains the president’s electoral albatross. They believe it has caused the president to lose support among senior citizens and suburban women, both key voting blocs. ........ Trump’s decision to leave the hospital Sunday for a ride in his presidential limo, which required two Secret Service agents to be in the car with him, as “so monstrously wrong.” .. ....... “In my lifetime, it was the most appalling thing I’ve seen a president do for a political stunt,” the former official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share a candid opinion. “It’s genuinely unhinged.” .......... “I supposed the message he was trying to send was that he’s super strong and defeated covid, but it was obvious even to me that he was gasping for breath, and that doesn’t suggest he has, in fact, defeated covid,” Rasmussen said. “It’s really premature to be declaring victory, and it’s also a really bad message to send.”
Trump is getting increasingly desperate, sparking new fears for his health and suddenly decided to back negotiations over a coronavirus economic rescue package he had killed off earlier in the week ............ While he spoke with Hannity, Trump had to pause his sentences, audibly clear his throat and cough at least twice. ......... Trump plans to do another interview with Fox News -- this time on camera with Dr. Marc Siegel, a medical analyst for the channel -- that will air Friday night. ................ "He is not well. We would not want any other person on the planet to do the things he's doing this soon after knowing they're infected" ........... normally, someone who had undergone Covid-19 experimental therapies would be still be in a hospital bed. ......... "If he's not in the right sound mind to make decisions rationally, then he could be very reckless for the country and the world." .......... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, questioned Thursday whether the President is in an "altered state" during an interview with Bloomberg TV, alluding to his sudden decision to halt stimulus negotiations. She noted that doctors have said that the steroid medication Trump was taking can affect a patient's judgment. ........ he is now at risk of losing one of the last chances to turn his campaign around -- purely because he ignored social distancing measures and got sick. ........... "What happens is, you get better ... you know, you don't really need drugs." ............ Trump's wild behavior is coinciding with signs that the long-feared fall spike in the pandemic is gathering speed. ............. Yet there is no sign of a coordinated government health offensive to prepare Americans for a grim winter before vaccines become widely available.
