White House says doctors to decide on Trump hospital discharge 'later today'

Doctors will take a call on discharging US President Donald Trump from the military hospital later in the day on October 5 as he continues to receive treatment for COVID-19. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Monday that the doctors will make a decision on “whether to discharge him later today."

“This is an important day as the president continues to improve and is ready to get back to a normal work schedule,” Meadows told Fox News.

On October 2, Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 after one his close aide got infected with the coronavirus. Taking to Twitter, the US President said that he will begin his quarantine and recovery process immediately with his wife. "We will get through this TOGETHER!," Trump said.

Trump was later flown to a military hospital after being injected with an experimental drug combination at the White House. The White House said that he was expected to stay at the hospital for a few days and would continue to work from the hospital’s presidential suite on his official duties. 

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Public appearance

The US President made a surprise public appearance in a drive-past to greet supporters on October 4, drawing criticism for putting others at risk. Trump left the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he is being treated, for a brief period to wave at supporters gathered outside the military hospital. He was captured on video waving at the crowd who were cheering the US President with American flags and pro-Trump banners.

COVID-19 patients are generally required to quarantine for 14 days to prevent the transmission of the virus but the US President decided to venture outside the military hospital to “pay a little surprise” to his supporters. In a video posted from his personal Twitter account, Trump thanked the nurses, doctors, soldiers and first responders.

"I learned a lot about Covid. I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school. This isn't the let's read the books school. I get it and I understand it. It's a very interesting thing, I'll be letting you know about it," said the US President who was dressed in a suit jacket and shirt with no tie.

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(With AP inputs)