Donald Trump Says He Feels Great Despite COVID-19. If Only We Could Believe Him.

President Donald Trump posted a video Wednesday evening on Twitter to say hes doing fine like, perfect, even in spite of his COVID-19 diagnosis. Standing outside the White House, where hes insisted on working with staff despite being contagious, Trump looked more stable than he did Monday evening, when he appeared on a White House balcony sans protective mask, seemingly struggling to breathe.

Trump insisted in the video that one of his medications, from the manufacturer Regeneron, was a cure and immediately set about selling it. It was like, unbelievable. I felt good immediately, the president said. I felt as good three days ago as I do now.

The video was nearly five minutes long. But like the other updates the president, his doctors and his aides have given since his diagnosis last week, it raised more questions than it answered. We are a month from an election and know very little about the presidents health. Reporters have not been allowed to ask questions. The White House has revealed almost nothing about his illness.

And as much as the president insists hes all better, that isnt the case: The most dangerous period for COVID-19 patients comes seven to 10 days after being infected, when some patients have a hyperactive immune response that can lead to organ failure or death. We dont know when Trump was infected, but he tested positive less than a week ago. The president isnt cured. Hes contagious and at risk of getting sicker.

Instead of information, he has left us with propagandistic White House videos, a stream of unhinged, apocalyptic tweets, false claims of an easy cure and cryptic, misleading dispatches from the White House physician, Sean Conley.

On Wednesday, Conley reported that Trump has been symptom-free for over 24 hours and fever-free for more than 4 days. Conley said that Trump has not required any supplemental oxygen since his hospitalization and noted that the president said, I feel great!

A Wednesday update from President @realDonaldTrumps physician: pic.twitter.com/IEn3Clv9yg

Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 7, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Kayleigh McEnany","author_url":"https://twitter.com/PressSec","cache_age":86400,"description":"A Wednesday update from President @realDonaldTrumps physician: pic.twitter.com/IEn3Clv9yg Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 7, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1040,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjvbG0aWsAAi6Cs.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":828,"title":"Kayleigh McEnany on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1313884629791911937","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5f7e4b8cc5b600470a973d3e","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/donald-trump-covid-19-condition_n_5f7e4b8cc5b600470a973d3e","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,coronavirus,politics,covid-19,sean-conley,regeneron-pharmaceuticals,@coronavirus_label_us,@coronavirus_label_us,@coronavirus_recirc_featured","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":14},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5f7e4b8cc5b600470a973d3e","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"Coronavirus","slug":"coronavirus","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/coronavirus","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/coronavirus","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/coronavirus"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Coronavirus (COVID-19)","slug":"coronavirus","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/coronavirus"},{"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics"},"relegenceSubjectId":982065,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics News","slug":"politics-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-news"},{"name":"COVID-19","slug":"covid-19","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/covid-19","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/covid-19","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/covid-19"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"COVID-19","slug":"covid-19","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/covid-19"},{"name":"Sean Conley","slug":"sean-conley","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/sean-conley","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/sean-conley","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/sean-conley"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/sean-conley"},{"name":"Regeneron Pharmaceuticals","slug":"regeneron-pharmaceuticals","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/regeneron-pharmaceuticals","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/regeneron-pharmaceuticals","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/regeneron-pharmaceuticals"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/regeneron-pharmaceuticals"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

A Wednesday update from President @realDonaldTrump s physician: pic.twitter.com/IEn3Clv9yg
Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 7, 2020

But Conleys one-paragraph update failed to mention whether Trump is still taking dexamethasone, an immune system-calming steroid that the World Health Organization recommends only in severe and critical cases of COVID-19. While the steroid can indeed make a person feel great, it can also undermine the bodys ability to fight coronavirus if administered too early. Prolonged use can cause cognitive impairment.

Conleys dispatch also mentioned that Trumps lab results from Monday revealed the president had detectable levels of coronavirus antibodies in his blood, a change from when he was tested last Thursday and found to have none of the immunoglobulin G antibodies in his system. On Friday at Walter Reed, however, Trump was given a high dose of an experimental drug therapy from biotechnology company Regeneron that is made up of those IgG antibodies.

Meaning that Conleys good news about antibodies is meaningless. And misleading.

Why would you test for antibodies when youve given someone such a high dose of antibodies? That wouldnt have been a good test to do. I dont know how much it cost them, but they should get their money back, Eric Topol, a cardiologist and clinical trial expert at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, told BuzzFeed News .

Even Regeneron publicly undercut Conley and the Trump administration on Wednesday.

[G]iven the volume of IgG antibodies delivered in our therapy, and the timing of these tests, it is likely that the second test is detecting REGN-COV2 antibodies, said Hala Mirza, a spokeswoman for the biotech company, which received $450 million in government funding to develop a vaccine and other COVID-19 treatments and whose CEO has been a member of Trumps golf club in Westchester, New York.