U.S. President Donald Trump was moved to a military hospital for treatment after being diagnosed with COVID-19, as as his administration and election campaign scrambled to adjust to an extraordinary twist in his turbulent presidency.
Trump, 74, was moved by Marine One helicopter to a special suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
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Marine One transporting Donald Trump to military hospital in Maryland on Friday
(Photo: AFP )
Media outlets showed Trump stroll to the helicopter and mount the steps to board before Marine One took off.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said before his departure that the president would be hospitalized as a precautionary measure for the next few days.
"Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days," she said in a statement.
Trump has a mild fever, according to a source familiar with the matter. White House doctor Sean P. Conley wrote in a memo that he is "fatigued but in good spirits."
It was the latest recent setback for the Republican president, who is trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
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Donald Trump and Joe Biden clash at Tuesday's presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio
(Photo: EPA)
Trump, who has played down the threat of the coronavirus pandemic from the outset, wrote on Twitter earlier on Friday that he and his wife Melania were going into quarantine after testing positive for the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans and severely damaged the U.S. economy.
An active Twitter user, Trump has not posted any messages since then.
Trump is at high risk because of his age and weight. He has remained in apparent good health during his time in office but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.
Conley said Trump has received a single dose of Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail, a technique that is used for treating a wide range of illnesses.
Data is limited on its effectiveness for COVID-19 but U.S. infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those saying it has promise.
Trump is also taking zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin.
First published: 01:09, 10.03.20