In a briefing to members of the media before President Trump’s return to the White House, Cmdr. Sean Conley, D.O., the White House physician, said Trump was going back to the White House where he would be getting the same care as he would get at Walter Reed, but he noted that the information he was provided was limited by HIPAA to what “the patient wants discussed.”
LTC Jason Blaylock, MD of Walter Reed said that Trump received a care consistent with standard of care for coronavirus patients; Blaylock didn’t acknowledge that Trump has taken experimental care unavailable to other patients.
Conley said Trump met all “discharge requirements” for allowing Trump to return to the White House. When asked when Trump had his last negative test, Conley said, “I don’t want to go backwards.”
The team noted that Trump will receive one more dose of Remdesivir, which must be given via IV, before he leaves Walter Reed. The medical team is making arrangements for getting Trump his fifth and final dose at the White House.
Asked why Trump was given medications that are normally given later in the course of more serious cases of coronavirus, Conley said that the medical team decided to treat Trump with those experimental drugs after reviewing Trump’s condition and the available data.
Conley turned to the team of about seven doctors standing behind him when he was asked if anyone was pressured to release Trump. Conley and the three doctors within camera view shook their heads no.
If Trump can get to Monday with him maintaining or improving, “we’ll all take that final deep sigh of relief,” Conley said.
Asked if he had any “mental spotiness” Conley says, “He’s all there.” Conley said the media could see it for themselves as he would go to Marine One for his return to the White House.
Asked about what his lung scans showed, Conley deferred, “There are HIPAA [Health Information Portability and Accountability Act] rules and regulations,” he said, stating that it was for the safety of the patient and for his privacy.
Asked why he didn’t treat Trump with hydroxychloroquine, Conley said that he didn’t want “to get into specifics” about what course of treatment was chosen by the medical team.
Asked if Trump would be returning to the Oval Office or if he would be limited to the residence, Conley said, “We’re going to do whatever he needs to do, to do normal business in the residence of the White House.”