Covid, potentially spreading this deadly virus at a time where hospital admissions are increasing and were in the second wave. The latest covid figures today show there have been a further 12,594 new infections, and 19 deaths. The nobel prize for medicine goes to a british scientist and two american colleagues for their discovery of the hepatitis c virus. Well talk to Michael Houghton shortly. Good evening. And we start with some breaking news from the United States because in a tweet this evening, President Trump has announced that after being diagnosed and treated for coronavirus last friday hes to leave hospital within the next few hours. Hes tweeted. Well, Donald Trumps physician is due to give an update on the president s health within the next half hour. Earlier today, we learned that the White House Press secretary Kayleigh Mcenany and at least two other press aides have now tested positive for the virus. Yesterday afternoon mr trump made an impromptu drive by appearance for his supporters outside the hospital where hes being treated. Lets discuss all this with our north america correspondent, larry madowo. Hejoins us from he joins us from dc. Hejoins us from dc. Well, that he joins us from dc. Well, that was quick. That was quick indeed. President trump essentially preempting his own medical team by announcing the big thing, that he is leaving at 6 30pm today, just about two and half hours. Also, venturing off to say that he is 7a years old and he says he feels better than he did 20 years ago at 5a, covid is not a big deal, dont let it dominate your life, and we have great care in the United States. So a lot to unpack and that single tweet from President Trump. Just to show that he does not wanted to look like he was completely ta ken he does not wanted to look like he was completely taken out by covid, it was just a few days, i walk in the park, and hes ready to go back to work. Its interesting, because we have been told what hes been treated with, some of it, not controversial, but quite exploratory, it . It will be interesting to hear from exploratory, it . It will be interesting to hearfrom his clinician about what the medical response to that has been. Clinician about what the medical response to that has beenm clinician about what the medical response to that has been. It does appear to be on medical experts, so all we can do is infer based on what the medical experts are telling us. Some of them were extreme mental treatments, he was on a few different drugs and steroids is welcome and some doctors said some of those look like its much further along are much more serious, but it seems to have worked out in this case. After two different briefings to the media, the medical team left more questions than answers. In fa ct, more questions than answers. In fact, one criticism is that the doctor, the president s physician acting like a spin doctor than a medical doctor in trying to avoid some obvious questions, sync mode, i dont know, i will have to ask the nursing team when its something that he should know. We will see if this press conference that should be happening any time now help set some of those concerns to ease. At the same time, it would appear that the white house is at the centre of the latest coronavirus outbreak. 0utbreak is the word, because over a dozen different people close to the president have tested positive, not just the press secretary who said today this morning that she tested positive even though she has no symptoms and is not going to quarantine, just make other deputies in her press shop have also tested positive, but people close to the president , including his personal assessment, what they call a body man, he is the one who was there before President Trumps onstage chemicals with him everywhere, has tested positive. Hope hicks has tested positive. Hope hicks has tested positive, senators who are at that event two saturdays ago to unveil the new Supreme Courtjustice also tested positive, two pastors who were there tested positive. Its quite of concern, some reporting here in the American Media saying that some members of his Domestic Household have also tested positive for coronavirus. It raises questions on why he went to go back to the white house. For him, its about optics and staying in hospital makes him look weak, and he doesnt like that. It will be fascinating to hear from his position in about 25 minutes time. For now, thank you very much indeed. Lets get a bit more analysis on the political fallout. Lets speak now to dr brian klaas, an associate professor to Global Politics at ucl, and a columnist at the washington post. Diagnosed, treated, three days, now out of hospital it seems. I suppose the only way one could look at this as isa the only way one could look at this as is a very trumpian recovery. It is, but its also very reckless, most medical experts say he should not be leaving the hospital at this stage. Most would also have said that he should not have gone on his car ride yesterday either with the secret Service Agents in the car with him potentially getting infected by him so that he could wave to his supporters. I think this is the pattern of terms infection is the pattern of terms infection is that he has behaved really recklessly for the last 6 7 months. Imean, you recklessly for the last 6 7 months. I mean, you had 150 people at the white house for that unveiling event for the Supreme Court nomination, some insight, some outside, no masks, no social distancing and now you have more cases in the white house than you do in some countries. The allegation that this is reckless behaviour, when the only person who would really know whether he has recovered and how successful the treatment was was his personal physician, and we will be hearing from him in a few minutes time. Well, sure, although, iwould argue that the physician hasjettisoned a lot of his credibility the way that he has handled the press conferences. Yes, but President Trump was that all gone to fake news, wouldnt the . The man who is directly responsible for the president s health, regardless of what you think of him, should have the answer. Yes, i agree with that. But i think its safe to say that its reckless for some whose infectious with tobique to get into a car with other people. I think we can agree on that. I think its also very easy to agree that you should not have 150 people at a ceremony in close quarters including indoors without masks or social distancing. This isnt controversial, right . If this were done in the uk, there would be fines being handed out, there would be illegal activity. So this is something where its quite clearly jeopardising this is something where its quite clearlyjeopardising other peoples health, and its notjust political operatives either two housekeepers in the white house have tested positive as a result of that, and it doesnt take a medical doctor to say that the president should not say to people, dont worry about covid. Which he just said in a tweet, 210,000 americans have died and he says he feels younger than he did 20 years ago after getting a severe bout of coronavirus and being hospitalized by it. At some point, you know, you struggle to be objective in these things because if borisjohnson said objective in these things because if Boris Johnson said any of this there would be very very strong pushback in this country saying, dont worry about this virus. In this country saying, dont worry about this virus. How in this country saying, dont worry about this virus. How has in this country saying, dont worry about this virus. How has this in this country saying, dont worry about this virus. How has this been pulling over the last 2 3 days . Well, i think its going to prove to be very disastrous for trumps reelection bid, and theres two reasons for that, one is that he is losing in the polls already, hes done by 7 8 points nationally in the polling averages and this is costing him valuable Campaign Time to turn around the race, and thats particularly important this year because 3. 3 Million People have already cast their ballots. Each day, more and more people have casted their ballot early. So the time is running out. A second reason why its so important is that trump wants this race to be about anything but the coronavirus pandemic. About 60 of the americans think that he has handled it poorly. So if the race becomes a referendum on his handling of this pandemic, he is slated to lose on november three. So this developing of him being hospitalized personally forces that back into the national conversation. 0k, thank you very much indeed. Actually, since we have been speaking to you, nancy pelosi the House Speaker speaking to you, nancy pelosi the house spea ker has just speaking to you, nancy pelosi the House Speaker has just given a short interview saying that she hopes that President Trumps clinicians had given him permission to leave. Lets get more from our correspondent, lebo diseko who is outside the Walter Reed Hospital in bethesda, maryland. We are expecting the physician to speak, can you give us any more information that mightve materialised in the last minute or so . I mean, we are still waiting for that update. So we havent had that yet. We have had a tweet from donald trump himself saying that he feels better than he did 20 years ago. He tweeted yesterday a short video where he said that he had learned about coronavirus first hand. I had almost been expecting a slightly different approach from him, but certainly, the tweets that the president sent outjust certainly, the tweets that the president sent out just a certainly, the tweets that the president sent outjust a few minutes ago didnt seem to come if anything, they showed that he dug in on his approach saying that people should not be fearful of coronavirus and that the us has lots of available treatment. Im not sure if you are in the last turn for 48 hours, but the drive by yesterday, how controversial was that, or does that just come how controversial was that, or does thatjust come down, really, to which side you are on, pro trump or anti trump . Which side you are on, pro trump or antitrump . Well, i think it was hugely controversial. There were lots of medical professionals on the various shows last night saying that, look, this is a vehicle thats designed not to let chemical attacks, biological tax into it, so if you are coronavirus patient and you are in their with other people, thatis you are in their with other people, that is not good. Thats not a great deal of circulation of air. Now, he was wearing a mask, so where the tea m was wearing a mask, so where the team that were with him, but there we re team that were with him, but there were lots of concerns raised. Donald trump himself has answered that and said that it wouldve been rude not to end really dismissing the media for criticising him for coming out and thinking people here. I would say that people gathered here behind me, you can probably see them if not hear them are hugely enthusiastic about the president. I spoke to people yesterday that had flown in from out of town, driven in, were prepared to drive days journey back homejust prepared to drive days journey back home just because they wanted to cheer him on. There was an African American and a couple of African American and a couple of african merit and ladies who said, look, no one has done more for us than this president and we want to cheer him on. So for his supporters, i dont think their opinions change. Im just going to stop you, because i think his position is about to speak now. His physician. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here. Over the past 24 hours, the president has continued to improve. Hes met or exceeded all standard hospital discharge criteria, he will receive another dose of medication here today and then we plan to get him home. Its been more than 72 hours since his last over my oxygen levels, including ambulatory satu rations last over my oxygen levels, including ambulatory saturations are all normal. Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and i agree that all of our evaluations and most important is clinical status support the president s safe return home where he will be surrounded by world class medical care 20 47. Id like to bring doctorjulie up to review some more specific. Good afternoon. Just a brief update this morning as doctor connolly mentioned, the president continues to do very well. His vital signs this morning were notable for a temperature of 98. 1, his Blood Pressure was 134 78, the respiratory rate of 17 respirations per minutes, his heart rate was 68 per minutes, his heart rate was 68 per per minutes, his heart rate was 68 per beats per minutes, his heart rate was 68 per beats per minute. And his hemoglobin saturation was 97 . He currently does not endorse any respiratory complaints and aside from our evaluation with the Multidisciplinary Team this morning has maintained a full schedule working on the white house medical unit. I will turn it over to doctor garibaldi to discuss therapeutics, thanks. Hi, good afternoon. Again, i wa nt to thanks. Hi, good afternoon. Again, i want to echo the sentiment of what an honour it is to be part of this Wonderful Team here at walter reed. Yesterday evening, the president received his third dose of medication, he tolerated that infusion without difficulty and his kidney and liver function continue to be normal. 0ur kidney and liver function continue to be normal. Our plan is to give the fourth dose of medication this evening before he goes back to the white house and we have made arrangements to deliver the fifth and final dose of his treatment course at the white house tomorrow evening. He continues on medication and the plan today is to be continue to be up and out of bed, eat and drink and work as he is able. I would like to turn over to an Infectious Disease specialist and the chief of medicine to give some updates on Infection Control. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, ijust you. Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, i just want to say what an honour its been to be part of this medical team behind me and to care for the president. Since the president s arrival at walter reed, he has received medical management that remains in line with National Clinical societal guidelines for treatment of covid 19 infection. In addition, both myself and doctor wes campbell have worked very closely with various laboratories in the area, state of the art facilities to include obtaining advanced diagnostic testing to really inform the White House Medical Team about the White House Medical Team about the status of the president as well as his ability to transmit virus to others. Also we have worked very closely with the walter reed team to ensure that we are looking very closely at Infection ControlPrevention Strategies and the right posture so that the president can safely return to his residence. With that, i will turn it over to doctor connko that, i will turn it over to doctor connolly who will answer any final questions. I mentioned it saturday, but i would like to reiterate myself just how grateful the president and iare to just how grateful the president and i are to the men and women at walter reed, my colleagues at Johns Hopkins as well as the many federal, private institutions that we have received support from. So long as every thing continues on the right track that we are experiencing right now, this time, as the president already tweeted outcome is to get him home later today. But that will take with that i will take a couple of questions. How can he be given how can he be discharged to the white house when hes been given steroids, medications that are usually given to Covid Patients who are on ventilators or with low oxygen, so did you over treat him, and if he is still on that medication, how is it safe for him to return to the white house . We send patients home with medications all the time. Send patients home with medications allthe time. In send patients home with medications all the time. In fact, yesterday afternoon, you probably met most of his discharge requirements safely from the hospital, and he is returning to a facility, white house medical unit at staff 20 47, top notch medical unit at staff 20 47, top notch physicians, medical unit at staff 20 47, top notch physicians, nurses, pas, and the unit here, the team here behind me is going to continue to support us in that nature. Doctor connko support us in that nature. Doctor connolly wide other Infection Control measures are you taking, and how is it safer into driver and in a cloth mask yesterday and how is it safe for him to return to the white house where there have been 70 cases, how is any of this safe . So, the president has been surrounded by medical and security staff for days wearing full ppe. And yesterday the us secret Service Agents were in that same level of ppe for a very short period of time. We have worked with our Infectious Disease experts to make some recommendations for how to make some recommendations for how to keep everything safe, down at the white house at the dash for the president and every one around him. Were looking at where he is going to be able to out his duties. You know, office space, and i willjust say that its in line with everything that weve been doing upstairs for the last several days. 0n testing, can you tell us when he had his last negative test, was a thursday, wednesday, do remember when he had his last negative test . I dont want to go backwards. I understand, the Contact Tracing is being done, im not involved with that. So. Was this something he pushed for . So, we try to get patients home and out of the hospital as quickly as it is safe and reasonable. Every day, patient stays in the hospital, unnecessarily, is a risk to themselves. Right now, there is nothing thats being done upstairs here that we cant safely conduct down at home. Seven to ten days was a window that you would be concerned about, i dont think we are there yet, so do you have concerns about potential worsening or reversal and what are your plans for addressing that if it were to happen . You are absolutely right. And that is why we all remain cautiously optimistic and en garde because we are ina optimistic and en garde because we are in a bit of uncharted territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course. So we are looking to this weekend, if we can get through to monday with him remaining the same or improving them a better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh relief. But as isaid, 20 that final deep sigh relief. But as i said, 20 47 from a world class medical care surrounding him down there. We are not going to miss anything that we wouldve caught up here. Is he going to physically be in the white house, and what does that look like . How do you keep them safely quarantined . |j that look like . How do you keep them safely quarantined . I wish i could go into that more, but ijust cant. What about his methadone treatment quiz . We talked about that yesterday the several temporary drops in his oxyge n the several temporary drops in his oxygen and we talked about that as a team and elected to start it early in case that persisted or worsened. The potential risks and side effects we all discussed. We looked at the data and decided that we would rather push ahead on it than hold and risk the opposite. What about ct scans and chest x rays . And risk the opposite. What about ct scans and chest xrays . As far as travel goes, we will see. As far as his mental status, can you talk to us about whether he has any neurological symptoms, any side effects from his medications, any fogginess from the virus . No, i think youve seen the videos, and now the tweets and you will see him shortly. You know, hes back. Yeah. Is that pneumonia or any inflammation in his lungs at all . So we have done routine standard imaging, imjust not we have done routine standard imaging, im just not at liberty to discuss. So you are actively not telling us what those long scans showed, just to be clear . So, there are hippo rules and regulations that restrict me and sharing certain things for his safety and for his own health and reasons. You said his oxygen dropped several times, can you share hominy times it was that he was on oxygen, you said you would check with the nursing staff. Yes, so he had two episodes, like we talked about yesterday, and both times that he received a little bit of oxygen and recovered immediately. Why was that oxygen required . No, it wasnt required, he wasnt short of breath, or looking ill, it was more of us trying to anticipate needs and see how they responded. In both cases, he came right off, he didnt need it. Forvery long cases, he came right off, he didnt need it. For very long at all. You are on board for air force one for multiple trips, are you at all concerned by your own exposure and exposure to the medical team . |j concerned by your own exposure and exposure to the medical team . I am concerned, but as ac dc says, there are caveats for essential employees that as long as you continue to test as that as long as you continue to test as the cdc says, you remain symptom free, and you keep a mask on when you are out and about, which we do inside the hospital 24 7, then you can carry on your duties. I know the president is an impatient man, has he been itchy to get out of here . The president has been a phenomenal patient during his stay here, and he has been working hand and glove with us and the team. Today its got to the point that he is Holding Court with those of us around him, the whole team, going over all the specifics, the testing, what the future is, and we have been back and forth on what is safe and whats reasonable, and he has never once pushed us to do anything that was beyond safe and reasonable practice that we all first wanted. As there is anybody on the team that recommended against the president leaving here and going back to the white house today . Now. The president said dont be afraid of covid, do you agree with that, shall be not be afraid . Are knocking to get into what the president says. His heart liver and kidney function was normal or improving, improving, does that mean that there were affects, and is at all normal, like what is up without . Yeah, its all normal right now. I would say he appeared to be a little dehydrated friday. He was able to just drink and recover from that and, yes, every thing looks great. What sort of things do you. Limits of the first thing that we need to do is that there is no evidence of live virus still present that he could possibly transmit to others, and thatis possibly transmit to others, and that is what the Infectious Disease experts and some of our partners, military civilian entities doing some of these advanced diagnostics, just to see as soon we can identify that routinely, we talk about a ten day window, the cdc guidelines, but we are checking him more routinely thanjust waiting we are checking him more routinely than just waiting ten days, we are checking him more routinely thanjust waiting ten days, there is a possibility its earlier than that, theres a chance that its a little bit later, but we will know as soon as possible. Then we will look at him clinically, how are you feeling, how are you doing . Why have you decided not to administer hydroxychloroquine during his time here . Im not going to go into all of our debates about specific medicines and therapies. There are dozens of therapies that we we re there are dozens of therapies that we were made aware of that we considered and discussed and debated and looked at, you know, the existing literature on. This is the regimen we chose. Is he having some of the muscle aches, has he lost a sense of taste and smell . No, we we re sense of taste and smell . No, we were just talking about that, what symptoms he has left, and even the slight cough that he use to have doesnt really complain of at all. He hasnt ever complained of muscle aches, and, yeah, he is up and back to his old self, predominantly. Just to his old self, predominantly. Just to be clear, how long will he still be actively shedding the virus . So, this morning i believe there is an account by doctor faucher she referencing a five day first five days of illness that people are most likely to shed live virus. Theres a reason there is the ten days, thats because most people by that time after seven days, most folks dont have cultural live virus. They put it to ten just to get some extra space. Its never 100 between everybody. So we will see. I cant, im not going to put a specific number, but we do look at that window is all i would say. Will the president be confined to his residence or will be he allied to return to the oval office . We are going to do whatever it takes for the president to safely conduct business wherever it is that he needs to do so within the residence and white house. Is he on blood thinners, and also has he been using or been given tylenol, advil, and he. 0h, he. Oh, that came up. He has not been on any fever reducing medications for over 72 hours. What about the blood thinners . He is on a routine regimen of covid therapy, im not going to go into specifics as to what he is not on, but. That the president had a mild cough and nasal congestion and fatigue on thursday. Now, back to my colleagues question, knowing when the president s less negative test is important, for that reason from your words, what you said, and also for the Contact Tracing, but would you recommend that given those symptoms that he go that the president go to that fundraiser . Its not up to me, necessarily. The president s schedule. But i would say that it wasnt until after he returned that we really sat down knowing the news of the day that we really dove into how are you feeling, what is going on . The symptoms he was experiencing on thursday. Im not going to get into it. Thursday. Im not going to get into it. Operations. Thursday. Im not going to get into it. Operations. When was his last negative test and what was his viral low . I know, Everyone Wants that. If you could just explain. low . I know, Everyone Wants that. If you could just explain. I dont have his viral low. Those are some of the diagnostics that we are sending out that will really tell us when its safe for him to get back out and around people. Why cant you say when the last negative test was . Where any of his lab tests abnormal . Hippo kind of precludes me from going into going into this depth. Im not its its not at liberty to be discussed. At some future point, maybe. But today, sorry, i think thats it. Thank you guys, thank you. The personal White House Position came out with the medical team from the Walter Reed Hospital. You can sum it up, really in a nutshell from whats Sean Connolly had to say. He is back. Cautiously optimistic, not entirely out of the woods, but our correspondent has been listening to that with me just a few hundred yards away from where that press conference was taking place. And it does appear that the whole team they are from the hospital and indeed the white house physician thinks he is fit to be discharged. Yes, they certainly do. Something that surprised me was one of the president s medical team saying, look, the longer that you keep a covid patient in hospital, the more dangerous it is for them. Thats something i had not heard before. Whats always interesting for me is the questions from the journalists at the end. Although its quite difficult to hear them all, they really did push him on quite a number of things, including donald trump comment that we should not be afraid of covid. Doctor connolly refusing to be drawn on that. Also refusing to be drawn on that. Also refusing to be drawn on issues like his last negative test. The viral load, lots of questions that the press tea m load, lots of questions that the press team there were asking that he just wouldnt answer. So that suggests that some of the mistrust or some of the questions that built up or some of the questions that built up over the weekend may not have gone away. Ok, just to be clear, President Trump will not be campaigning according to Sean Connolly. He will have to wait a few days, currently cdc guidelines i think our ten days, but they would be monitoring his recovery. Thank you very much indeed. The government has launched an investigation here, the government has launched an investigation after an error meant that tens of thousands of people may still be unaware that theyve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. A technical issue in transferring positive results from laboratories led to almost 16,000 missing cases. All those who tested positive were informed. But their close contacts were not and most still havent been traced. The Health Secretary matt hancock told parliament the incident should never have happened and he said it had not yet been resolved. The shadow Health Secretaryjonathan ashworth said the missing results were putting lives at risk. Heres our Health Editor hugh pym. Testing and tracing continues today, but there are yet more questions about whether the whole system in england is working properly, with thousands of cases not recorded, so contacts of those testing positive were not followed up. The Health Secretary had to come to the commons to explain what went wrong. This incident should never have happened, but the team have acted swiftly to minimise its impact and now it is critical that we Work Together to put this right and to make sure