Specialist answers questions about Trump’s experimental drugs usage

The President’s team of physicians at Walter Reed Medical Center provided an update on President Trump’s condition and stated the next 48 hours of observation are critical for a COVID-19 patient. While President Donald Trump does not have any known underlying health conditions, his weight and age make him an at-risk patient.

President Trump’s age and other health woes raise his risk for a serious case of COVID-19.

“He’s doing so well,” Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley said, “but, with the known course of the illness, day seven to 10, we get really concerned about the inflammatory phase, phase two. Given that we’ve provided these advanced therapies so early in the course, a little bit earlier than most of the patients we know and follow, it’s hard to tell where he is on that course and so every day we are evaluating, ‘Does he need to be here? What does he need? And where is he going?”

Trump has been treated with two experimental drugs, including a five-day course of Remdesivir, which is used for moderately to severe COVID-19 patients, and additionally an antibodies treatment.

Infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Dr. Linda Yancey said early in the disease is when the virus is replicating very rapidly, so treatment in those early stages are crucial.

“He’s very early in the course of disease,” Dr. Yancey said. “This is the time when we like to monitor people very closely to make sure they are not beginning to deteriorate. Just watching the news conference that his physicians had earlier in the day, it sounds like he is not requiring any extra oxygen which is a good sign and they said his vitals and his labs seem stable, which is also a good sign.”

Yancey also said, generally, if a patient is going to have a moderate to severe case, their health takes a turn during the inflammatory phase.

“This is a good reminder that none of us are safe from this virus,” Yancey said. “We all are at risk. It doesn’t respect our boundaries. It doesn’t respect our politics. It doesn’t respect our beliefs and we need to be careful. We need to continue to wear masks, to social distance. We need to avoid indoor gatherings and it’s very important that everyone gets their flu shot this season. We are coming into flu season. We’re going to have two deadly viruses circulating, one of them we have a safe effect vaccine for so make sure you immunize yourself and make sure your family gets immunized.”