Trump coronavirus: President taking dexamethasone is ‘big red flag’ and shows his case may be severe, say doctors

Medical correspondent says 'there's a little bit more going on here then we’re hearing about’

Doctors not involved with Donald Trump’s treatment at Walter Reed medical centre have described his taking of dexamethasone as “a big red flag”.

The drug, which is a steroid typically used to reduce inflammation in other conditions, could be a sign that the 74-year-old’s symptoms were more severe than what has been already admitted in public, one doctor said. 

Dr Sean Conley, the US president’s personal physician, had said that Mr Trump’s condition “continued to improve" despite a dexamethasone dosage administered after his oxygen levels dropped twice over the weekend.

Although the steroid has not been approved for widespread use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it has been known to aid patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms.

Dr John Torres, MSNBC’s medical correspondent, argued on Sunday that “The fact they start him on dexamethasone is to me a big red flag that there's a little bit more going on here then we’re hearing about."

“To me, one of the more concerning things is to see if they start him on dexamethasone, because once they start him on dexamethasone it means his symptoms are more than mild or moderate,” the doctor added.

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) says dexamethasone is recommended in patients “who are mechanically ventilated (AI) and in patients with Covid-19 who require supplemental oxygen but who are not mechanically ventilated”.

It adds that “the panel recommends against using dexamethasone in patients with Covid-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen”.

Dr Conley, the president’s physician, claimed Mr Trump’s discharge could come as early as Monday despite admitting the dexamethasone treatment.  

Stanford University law professor Michele Dauber, who was treated with the steroid following brain surgery, used Twitter to suggest that Mr Trump was “incapacitated”.

"I couldn't be President of my cat when I was on Dexamethasone,” she wrote. “He should not be exercising the powers of the Office of President on that drug. We are lucky if he doesn't start a war. He's incapacitated".  

Mr Trump, who has also taken remdesivir – another drug used in moderate to severe coronavirus cases – was said to have suffered from oxygen levels dropping as low as 94 per cent on Friday, and during “another episode” on Saturday.

Oxygen levels lower than 90 per cent would cause alarm as to Covid-19’s effect on the lungs, given that the disease is a respiratory illness.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.