Trump is 'not yet out of the woods' but his team is 'cautiously optimistic,' White House physician says

The White House released photos of President Donald Trump working in the presidential suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday.

Trump was taken to the military hospital on Friday as a precautionary measure after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

His daughter Ivanka Trump, who is a White House senior advisor, tweeted the photo of her dad. — Joanna Tan

President Donald Trump's blood oxygen level "dropped rapidly" on Friday morning, sparking concerns about his health, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told Fox News on Saturday night.

In an interview with Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, Meadows said both he and White House physician Dr. Sean Conley were "real concerned" about Trump's condition on Friday morning.

"I can tell you the biggest thing we see is that with no fever now, and with him doing really well with his oxygen saturation levels. Yesterday morning, we were real concerned about that. He had a fever, and his blood oxygen level had dropped rapidly."

He reiterated Conley's assessment that the president was not yet out of the woods, but said he was "vey, very optimistic" based on the president's current results. — Joanna Tan

President Donald Trump has completed his second dose of Remdesivir but is "not yet out of the woods," his physician said in an update on Saturday night.

"He remains fever-free and off supplemental oxygen with a saturation level between 96 and 98% all day," Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement.

"While not yet out of the woods, the team remains cautiously optimistic," said the While House physician. The president will continue to be closely monitored, he added. — Joanna Tan

President Donald Trump, in a video posted to his Twitter account, said he's starting to feel better but the real test will come over the next few days as he receives treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center. 

"I'm starting to feel good," Trump said. "You don't know over the next period of a few days. I guess that's the real test, so we'll be seeing what happens over the next couple of days. I just want to be so thankful for all the support I've seen."  —Spencer Kimball

New York is responding to growing clusters of coronavirus cases in 20 "hotspot" ZIP codes that are reporting positivity rates, or the number of tests coming back positive, far above other parts of the state, according to a statement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office on Saturday. 

More than half of the hotspot ZIP codes are from Kings and Queens counties, which are located in New York City's Brooklyn and Queens boroughs. Although the top 20 ZIP codes are home to 6.7% of the state's population, they represented 26% of Friday's new Covid-19 cases, Cuomo said.

Dr. Tom Frieden, the former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under President Barack Obama, warned on Twitter that New York City is "on the edge of a precipice" and is at "a high risk of Covid resurgence." — Noah Higgins-Dunn

Growing coronavirus outbreaks across the American West and Midwest have started to take an alarming turn as some states report growing Covid-19 hospitalizations. 

Six states reached record high Covid-19 hospitalizations, based on a weekly average to smooth out the reporting, as of Friday, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project. Most of the states are based in the Midwest, including Missouri, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. 

In Wisconsin, coronavirus cases are reaching levels the state has yet to witness in its response to the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University data. One of the state's hospitals this week reported reaching capacity and placing patients in hallways. 

"It was kind of a slow burn, and now it's clearly a forest fire," said Dr. Nasia Safdar, an infectious disease physician and the medical director for infection prevention at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. — Noah Higgins-Dunn

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke with President Trump by phone and said he "sounds well and says he's feeling good."  

"We talked about the people's business — fighting the pandemic, confirming Judge Barrett, and strengthening the economy for American families," McConnell wrote in a Twitter post. "Let's keep our President & First Lady in our prayers."

Trump's physician said that the president's condition has improved at Walter Reed Medical Center, though a person familiar with the matter told reporters that the president's vitals were "very concerning" over the last day.  —Emma Newburger

The White House sought to further clarify President Donald Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis timeline following conflicting comments.

"The president received his first positive test upon return from Bedminster," a White House official said on Saturday afternoon. The timing matters because Trump was present for a fundraiser at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course Thursday, raising concern that attendees may have been exposed to the virus.  

The statement is the second clarification the White House has provided. The president's physician Dr. Sean Conley said he misspoke during today's press conference about the president's health condition. Conley claims he should have said day three of Trump's diagnosis, instead of 72 hours, and that the president was given a treatment two days ago, instead of 48 hours. 

Conley's first statement, which he now claims was incorrect, would have placed Trump's diagnosis well before the timeline originally put out by the administration. 

Conley said Trump was tested on Thursday after he came into close contact with someone who had tested positive, and after he began to show "clinical indications" that warranted testing. The test came back positive late Thursday night, according to the doctor.   —Pippa Stevens

Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters confronted each other outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where President Donald Trump is hospitalized, NBC News reported.

NBC News witnessed a minor physical altercation and shouting between a Trump supporter and anti-Trump protester, though it's unclear who initiated the fight. No injuries or arrests have been reported.

"We can't hear you, you might want to take your mask off, come on," NBC News heard one Trump supporter shout through a megaphone.

About 50 people are currently gathered outside the hospital, mostly comprised of Trump supporters, NBC News reported.

Both pro-Trump and anti-Trump people are also driving along the road where media is set up, honking and shouting at reporters.

Local police and military police are now on the scene. —Hannah Miao

White House physician Dr. Sean Conley sought to clarify his earlier comments regarding the timeline of President Donald Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis. 

"This morning while summarizing the President's health, I incorrectly used the term 'seventy two hours' instead of 'day three' and 'forty eight hours' instead of 'day two' with regards to his diagnosis and the administration of the polyclonal antibody therapy," Dr. Conley said in a statement. He added that the President was first diagnosed with Covid-19 on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 1.

Regeneron, the maker of the drug, said that Dr. Conley was incorrect in his characterization. "REGN-COV2 is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies —meaning each was produced by making identical copies, or clones, of an antibody gene in a single B cell. Polyclonal antibody cocktails refer to antibodies made by mixtures of B cells," the company said in a statement to CNBC.

The public was made aware of the president's condition on Friday morning just before 1 a.m. ET via the president's official twitter account. —Pippa Stevens

President Donald Trump on Saturday commented on the ongoing stimulus talks, saying in a tweet that "our great USA wants & needs stimulus."

"Work together and get it done," he added.

The president's comment comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been at odds for months over additional stimulus measures.

Pelosi told MSNBC on Friday that the president's Covid-19 diagnosis "changes the dynamic" of stimulus talks since the Republicans "see the reality of what we have been saying all along."

The speaker and Treasury secretary talked on the phone Friday afternoon for more than an hour, Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill said. They discussed "areas of disagreement" and their "discussions will continue," he added.

House Democrats passed their $2.2 trillion proposal Thursday night, which is much larger than the $1.6 trillion package that Mnuchin has offered. - Pippa Stevens, Jacob Pramuk

President Donald Trump's vital signs on Friday pointed to a possible progression of Covid-19, a source familiar with Trump's condition told NBC News. "Some [of] the President's vitals signs Friday morning were early indicators of the potential for progression beyond mild illness," the person said. —Pippa Stevens

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Saturday criticized Republicans for moving forward with the scheduled confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, even as several Senate Republicans test positive for Covid-19.

"The decision to recess the Senate for two weeks after at least three Republican Senators have tested positive for COVID-19 makes clear that the Senate cannot proceed with business as usual as the virus continues to run rampant," Schumer said. "If It's too dangerous to have the Senate in session it is also too dangerous for committee hearings to continue."

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced that the Senate will not return in full until after Oct. 19 because of health concerns, but the Judiciary Committee will still hold confirmation hearings for Barrett on Oct. 12. - Emma Newburger 

President Donald Trump said he's "felling well" in a tweet on Saturday afternoon, after spending the night at Walter Reed Medical Center.

"Tremendous progress has been made over the last 6 months in fighting this PLAGUE. With their help, I am feeling well!" he said in a tweet thanking doctors and nurses at Walter Reed.

The president's tweet comes amid conflicting reports over the state of his health. White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said he is "extremely happy" with the president's progress, but shortly after those remarks a person familiar with the matter told the White House pool that Trump's vitals over the last 24 hours were "very concerning" and that he is "still not on a clear path to a full recovery." —Pippa Stevens

President Donald Trump reportedly received supplemental oxygen on Friday while at the White House after he experienced difficulty breathing, according to The New York Times and Associated Press. The president was later transferred to Walter Reed.

During comments before reporters on Saturday, White House physician Dr. Sean Dooley said that the president is not using supplemental oxygen and is not having difficulty breathing. The doctor would not comment on whether Trump had received oxygen at all. —Pippa Stevens, Noah Higgins-Dunn

Minutes after White House physician Dr. Sean Conley sought to assure the public on President Donald Trump's condition, a conflicting account of the president's health emerged.

A person familiar with the matter told White House reporters that the president's "vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning. The next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care."

"We are still not on a clear path to a full recovery," the person added.

These comments followed Dr. Conley's update, during which he said he's "extremely happy" with Trump's progress. —Pippa Stevens

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate will not return in full until after Oct. 19 due to concerns over the coronavirus, but the Judiciary Committee's Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett will begin as scheduled on Oct. 12. 

"Since May, the Judiciary Committee has operated flawlessly through a hybrid method that has seen some Senators appear physically at its hearings while other members have participated virtually," McConnell said in a statement.

"The Committee has utilized this format successfully for many months while protecting the health and safety of all involved. Certainly all Republican members of the committee will participate in these important hearings," McConnell said. 

Three Republican Senators have tested positive for Covid-19, two of whom are members of the Judiciary Committee, which will hold hearings on Barrett's nomination. 

Saturday's briefing from White House physician Dr. Sean Conley has raised questions about when it was known that the president was sick.

Conley told reporters on Saturday that a treatment was given to the president 48 hours ago, which would've been on Thursday before President Donald Trump's positive diagnosis was announced. 

Top Trump aide Hope Hicks, who spends a lot of time with the president, tested positive Thursday morning. Later that day, Trump flew to New Jersey to participate in a fundraiser at his Bedminster golf club. —Noah Higgins-Dunn, Pippa Stevens

Though White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said the president's condition is improving, he stopped short at giving a date for when the president might be released from the hospital.

When asked if he had a discharge date in mind he said "I don't want to put a hard date on that." —Pippa Stevens

President Donald Trump's condition is improving since he has tested positive for Covid-19, Dr. Sean Conley said on Saturday. 

In comments before reporters, the White House physician said he is "extremely happy with the progress the president has made."

The president no longer has a fever and he is not receiving supplemental oxygen at this time, the doctors said. —Pippa Stevens

Dr. Sean Conley, President Donald Trump's physician, will provide an update on Trump's condition shortly. Dr. Conley's remarks will be made from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which is where the President spent the night.

The president's physician was initially slated to provide an update at 11 a.m. ET. - Pippa Stevens

President Donald Trump spent his first night at Walter Reed Medical Center after testing positive for coronavirus and developing mild symptoms. 

White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo late Friday evening that the president is "doing very well." Trump has started taking Remdesivir and does not require supplemental oxygen, Conley said.   

Trump was taken to Walter Reed yesterday evening "out of an abundance of caution" and will conduct his duties from the presidential offices at the hospital for the next few days. — Spencer Kimball