President Donald Trump claims he is “immune” to COVID-19 after contracting the virus and being hospitalized for a weekend. During his stay, he received supplemental oxygen , an experimental cocktail of antibodies and a steroid generally used for very severe cases of the virus.
"I knew there was a risk to this. But I had to do it. I stepped forward. I led. Someone who is not a leader would not have done what I did. I know there is a risk... But that's okay. And now I'm better. Maybe I'm immune, I don't know," Trump said in a video posted to Twitter upon his return from Walter Reed, where he was transferred on Friday as his COVID-19 condition worsened.
But just hours earlier, White House physician Sean Conley said that Trump “may not be completely out of the woods yet,” meaning that he hasn’t fully recovered. The president is still infected with the virus and will continue to receive treatment at the White House. In short, there is no indication that Trump is immune to COVID-19 at this time.
As Trump announced in a tweet that he would be leaving the hospital just hours early, he once again downplayed the threat of COVID-19 after a weekend in which he received treatment that is largely unavailable to most people.
"Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life. We have developed, under this government, some really great drugs and knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!"
There have been more than 7.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US and over 210,000 reported deaths. The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world by that count.
At least 13 people in Trump's circle have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
