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Is Trump being discharged early from Walter Reed? Internet says he's 'not ready', it's just been 72 hours

Trump’s medical team reported that his blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid treatment

President Donald Trump declared, “I get it,” in a message to the nation on Sunday, October 4, before briefly leaving the hospital to salute cheering supporters from his motorcade, a surprise move that raised new questions about the president’s understanding of the coronavirus that has killed more than 209,000 Americans.

Only a few hours earlier, Trump’s medical team reported that his blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid treatment typically only recommended for the very sick. The doctors also said his health is improving and that he could be discharged as early as Monday, October 5.

“Our plan for today is to have him eat and to drink to be up and out of bed as much as possible,” Dr Brian Garibaldi, MD, a specialist in pulmonary critical care on the president's medical team who practices at John Hopkins, told reporters. “If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today our hope is to plan for discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House to continue his treatment course.” President's physician, Sean Conley, added that Trump, who has been in the hospital since Friday, October 2, evening, “is really doing well.” But Conley also said Trump, who was first diagnosed with coronavirus late Thursday, October 1 twice had low blood oxygen levels, once Friday and again Saturday. Only the Friday instance, however, required supplemental oxygen.

Conley said the president received supplemental oxygen for about an hour on October 1 at the White House and the drop - along with a 'high' fever - is part of what prompted the decision for Trump to go to Walter Reed. He could not say if the president received supplemental oxygen on Saturday, October 3. "I would have to check with the nursing staff. If he did, it was very limited," Conley said. Conley, evaded questions on whether the president received extra oxygen. Additionally, Dr Garibaldi said Trump received a second dose of the experimental drug remdesivir along with a first dose of dexamethasone, a steroid, on October 3. He noted the president isn't showing any side effects 'that we can tell.' 

As soon as the news of the early discharge came in, Internet started reacting to it, as one Internet user wrote, "This doctor just said they might discharge trump from Walter Reed by tomorrow. I can't believe a word out of any of them, this whole thing seems bullshit." While some said that he is not ready for the discharge and wrote, "Bottom line: it seems like Trump is stable, but remains at high risk, given transient hypoxemia, some findings on chest imaging. The happy talk and evasions are clearly at Trump's direction, putting the docs in a terrible position. No way he's ready for discharge tomorrow."

And some confused people asked, "Dr Conley now says that Trump’s oxygen level dropped again yesterday. But can not say if the president received supplemental oxygen then? And yet there is now talk of discharge tomorrow" While another called it all "chad optics" and wrote, "No one can deny the chad optics of Trump getting COVID and defeating it within 72 hours."

Vanity Affair correspondent Gabriel Sherman wrote, "If Trump’s condition continues to improve overnight, the plan is to discharge him back to the White House by lunchtime Monday, according to source that spoke with the Trump family today." While some speculated, "I'm guessing the real reason doctors are talking about an early discharge is b/c, regardless of Trump's health, they can't stand having him as a patient. & who can blame them?"

And one angry social media user wrote, "Trump is either COVID + or he isn't. If he isn't, since when were doctors/hospital admin. allowed to discharge pts with risk to the public, falsify statements/records on a patient's behalf? That would make them liable and complicit. WTH is going on? Wake up people."