Donald Trump's doctor says president has had no symptoms for 24 hours and has signs of antibodies

Donald Trump stands on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from hospital
Getty Images
Rebecca Speare-Cole7 October 2020

Donald Trump's doctor has said the president has been symptom-free for 24 hours and that antibodies have been detected in his blood.

The US president tested positive for coronavirus last week and has since insisted that he is "feeling good".

Mr Trump was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre but he staged a dramatic return to the White House, entering the building without a protective mask.

He immediately ignited a new controversy by declaring that, despite his illness, the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans.

The president remained out of sight for a second day on Wednesday as he continued his recovery but he made his presence known on social media as he tweeted broadsides against Democrats, floated false disease figures and pushed politicians to take up piecemeal economic aid proposals after ending negotiations on a broader assistance package.

White House aides said Mr Trump was itching to get back to the Oval Office and preparations are under way to allow him to do so while minimising risk to those around him.

In the latest update on Mr Trump's health, his doctor reported that the president continued to make progress in his recovery.

Dr Sean Conley said that Mr Trump had declared: "I feel great!" after his latest examination of the president.

Donald and Melania Trump - In pictures

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Dr Conley added in a memo that the president had been symptom-free for over 24 hours and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal.

The memo also said that antibodies against the coronavirus were detected in blood drawn from Mr Trump on Monday, suggesting he may be fighting off the infection.

The Friday before, Mr Trump had been given an experimental treatment that contained manufactured antibodies.

On Wednesday, Mr Trump pushed out more than four dozen tweets by midday praising supporters and attacking his opponents.

He again publicly played down the virus on Twitter after his return from a three-day hospitalisation, though even more aides tested positive including one of his closest advisers, Stephen Miller.

More than a dozen White House staffers have now tested positive.

Elsewhere in the government, the scope of the outbreak was still being uncovered.

On Tuesday, the nation's top military leaders including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, and the vice chairman, General John Hyten, were in quarantine after exposure to Admiral Charles W Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard.

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