Donald Trump is back at the White House, but his doctors have cautioned that he is "not entirely out of the woods." The president had been in the hospital since Friday after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Image: Erin Scott/Reuters
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US President Donald Trump was released from Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday evening following four days of emergency treatment for COVID-19.
A mask-wearing Trump emerged from the front doors of the hospital, flashing a thumbs-up at reporters as he boarded Marine One for a short helicopter ride back to the White House — which he left on Friday after testing positive for COVID-19 and falling ill.
Upon arrival at the White House, Trump quickly removed his mask for a photo op with photographers and saluted. The president remained maskless as staffers approached to greet him.
In a video statement recorded on the White House balcony, Trump downplayed the effects of the virus and told Americans to "get out there."
"Don't let it [coronavirus] dominate. Don't let it take over your lives," he said.
Trump, who is still infected with the virus and likely contagious, plans on continuing his treatment for the illness at the White House.
Earlier Monday, the president announced he would be leaving the military hospital, writing in a series of Tweets that he was "feeling really good" and that he "will be back on the campaign trail soon."
The virus has so far killed more than 210,000 Americans and infected over 7.4 million people, with Trump facing criticism for his pandemic response.
Trump wore his mask while leaving Walter Reed Medical Center, but removed it upon returning to the White HouseImage: Saul Loeb/AFP
Biden: 'Masks matter'
Trump's Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, fired back at the president's decision to remove his mask and downplay the severity of the virus.
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"I would hope that the president, having gone through what he went through — and I'm glad he seems to be coming along pretty well — would communicate the right lesson to the American people: masks matter," Biden said during an NBC News town hall event in Miami.
"This is a national emergency. And so the president should take responsibility … to lay out basic guidelines and that science matters," he said.
After facing off with Trump in the first presidential debate last Tuesday, Biden has since tested negative for COVID-19.
Not yet 'out of the woods'
Giving an update on Trump's health on Monday prior to his release, Dr. Sean Conley, the president's physician, said the president "may not entirely be out of the woods yet," but said doctors agreed "that all our evaluations and, most importantly, his clinical status support the president's safe return home, where he'll be surrounded by world-class medical care."
Reuters news agency quoted Trump's medical team as saying that the president had met or exceeded all discharge criteria. Doctors also said Trump will get fifth dose of remdesivir at the White House on Tuesday. He hasn't had a fever for 72 hours and his oxygen levels were normal, they added.
Trump's condition improved overnight from Sunday night to Monday morning, according to doctors.
Doctors treating Trump said they were unsure when he'll no longer be contagious for the virus or when he'd be able to travel again. Trump is being treated with a steroid, dexmethasone, which is normally used only in the most severe cases.
Mandatory quarantine
Trump's move to immediately remove his mask upon arrival at the White House sparked immediate concerns about whether the president will isolate himself.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with mild to moderate symptoms can be contagious for at least 10 days and should remain in isolation.
The president's White House return raises questions about how the administration will protect other officials from the virus. It's unclear how many people at the White House have already been infected with the disease.
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced Monday morning she had tested positive for COVID-19 and was entering quarantine.
Trump's COVID-19 outbreak: Who got infected?
Donald Trump's coronavirus infection has been followed by a chain of cases spanning the White House, Congress and his presidential reelection campaign. Many were infected after attending a White House event.
Image: The White House via Reuters
Adviser Hope Hicks
A former White House staffer, Hope Hicks had returned recently to help Trump prepare for the first presidential debate against Joe Biden. She was the first person in his surroundings to test positive for COVID-19, just hours before the president confirmed his infection.
Image: Kevin Dietsch/UPI Photo/Newscom/picture-alliance
First lady Melania Trump
Given her proximity to Trump, it was no surprise that first lady of the US also tested positive for coronavirus following Trump's infection. She received medical assistance at the White House and did not require hospitalization at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Image: Andrea Hanks/White House/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS/picture-alliance
Personal assistant Nicholas Luna
Nicholas Luna tested positive for COVID-19 soon after Trump did. As personal assistant, his job is to accompany Trump day and night. His job puts him in as close proximity to the president as the first lady.
Image: Andrew Harnik/AP/picture-alliance
Campaign manager Bill Stepien
Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, also tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day the president did. His diagnosis dealt a blow to a campaign he had just recently begun to head, after the departure of embattled former campaign manager Brad Parscale.
Image: Amy Newman/The Record of Bergen County/AP/dpa/picture-alliance
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tested positive for coronavirus soon after the president and went into quarantine at her home in Michigan. Like Bill Stepien, she plays a key role in Trump's campaign and was in close contact with him in recent weeks.
Adviser Kellyanne Conway tested positive for the virus on the same day as Trump. Although she officially left the White House weeks earlier — citing the need to spend more time with her family — she attended Trump's White House ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Image: Andrew Harnik/AP/File/picture-alliance
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced that he would check himself into a hospital because of a COVID-19 infection the day after Trump's positive test. Christie had attended an event at the White House for Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett, where he was seen without a mask and not socially distancing.
Image: Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/AP/picture-alliances
Republican Senator Ron Johnson
Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson said he tested positive for COVID one day after Trump's positive test. A close ally of the president, Johnson was also at the event for Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Image: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/picture-alliance
Republican Senator Thom Tillis
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he tested positive for coronavirus a day after the president did. He, too, had attended the White House event for Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Tillis, who is facing reelection this year, is a member of the Justice Committee that would process the nomination.
Image: Chris Carlson/AP/picture-alliance
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said she tested positive for COVID-19 three days after the president's positive test. She indicated that she experienced no symptoms and said she would quarantine while continuing to work from home. She gave her last appearance to reporters, without a mask, hours before her positive test results came back.
Image: Alex Brandon/AP/picture-alliance
Republican Senator Mike Lee
Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee said he tested positive for coronavirus on the same day as Trump. He was also one of several people who attended the White House event for Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee. Tillis, a staunch Trump ally, is also a member of the Justice Committee that would process the nomination.
Image: Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Wire/picture-alliance
Senior adviser Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump and one of his inner circle, announced he'd tested positive for COVID-19 four days after the president. In a statement, he said he'd been self-isolating and testing negative until that point. The White House said Miller is "doing well" and quarantining.
Image: Patrick Semansky/AP Images/picture-alliance
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Questions remain concerning the actual timeline of Trump's positive test result and when he first showed symptoms.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows previously defended a controversial decision for the president to leave his hospital suite on Sunday to drive by supporters outside the medical facility. Dr. James Phillips, a medic at the facility, described the move as "insanity."
With less than a month to go until election day, Trump is eager to keep campaigning and stay in the public eye. Monday also saw a return to regular Twitter use for the president.
