Trump was sicker from COVID-19 than he admitted, nearly placed on ventilator

Trump had 'extremely depressed blood oxygen levels at one point and a lung problem.'

When former President Donald Trump contracted the coronavirus in October, his condition was reportedly far worse than what the public was told at the time. 

After contracting COVID-19, Trump had “extremely depressed blood oxygen levels at one point and a lung problem associated with pneumonia caused by the coronavirus,” The New York Times reports. His condition was so poor that “officials believed he would be put on a ventilator” before he was taken from the White House to Walter Reed National Military Center,” according to the Times

Read More: President Trump and first lady test positive for COVID-19

Trump and his wife Melania both tested positive for the coronavirus in early October. When the former Apprentice host went to the hospital for treatment, his medical team tried to downplay the severity of Trump’s condition. After reportedly receiving a cocktail of experimental drugs, Trump left Walter ReedNational Military Center three days after checking in.

President Trump And First Lady Melania Depart White House For New Jersey
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A week later he was back on the campaign trail, telling his supporters in Florida that he feels “powerful,” NBC News reported.

“They say I’m immune. I feel so powerful,” Trump said to the crowd at the Orlando Sanford International Airport. “I’ll walk into that audience, I’ll walk in there, kiss everyone in that audience. I’ll kiss the guys and the beautiful women.”

Trump then promised that his administration would distribute the COVID drug cocktail that he received to hospitals acorss the nation.  

“We are going to take whatever the hell they gave me, and we are going to distribute it to hospitals,” he told his supporters at the Florida rally.

The White House got its first COVID-19 scare in early March when at least three people who later tested positive came in close proximity to the president at his private Florida club. That included members of the Brazilian president’s delegation, including the Brazilian chargé d’affaires, who sat at Trump’s dinner table, theGRIO reported.

Read More: Trump says he feels ‘powerful’ after COVID-19, will ‘kiss’ his supporters

Trump had consistently played down concerns about being personally vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, even after White House staff and allies were exposed and sickened.

“I felt no vulnerability whatsoever,” he said told reporters back in May.

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