Making Sense of Medical Science (MSMS)

Being, male, elderly (74 years old), and borderline clinically obese, Mr. Trump meets three high-risk criteria for severe COVID-19 disease. Despite reporting negligible symptoms at this point, his doctors at Walter Reed have him on aggressive precautionary therapeutic measures.

He has been given the anti-viral drug, Remdesivir that shows moderate effects against the CoV-2 virus and has become a standard-of-care treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. He also has received an intravenous dose of Regeneron Pharmaceutical’s cocktail of two experimental anti-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies. These are antibodies produced in the lab that are designed to mimic the naturally occurring antibodies the immune system produces in response to CoV-2 infection. They provide a boost to the natural immune system, especially during the early stages of infection when one’s natural immunity is still ramping up. While the monoclonal antibody therapy is experimental, early evidence suggests that it provides a significant protective effect. It was approved for Mr. Trump under a “compassionate use” clause for experimental therapies.

He reportedly also has been taking daily aspirin, which has anti-coagulant properties, as well as over-the-counter vitamin D and minerals needed for a healthy immune response. A paper published last month in the journal PLOS ONE found a higher rate of coronavirus cases in people who were deficient in vitamin D than in people who had normal levels of vitamin D. But this is just a correlation and more research is needed to confirm that there is a biological cause-and-effect relationship between vitamin D levels and COVID-19.

It is interesting that it appears Mr. Trump has not been taking hydroxychloroquine, which he earlier pushed, and which more recently has been pushed by some physicians and touted by many lay people to be a COVIID-19 cure despite growing scientific evidence showing that it is not effective, even when given to early stage COVID-19 patients.

Update (Sunday 10/4): It was reported today that Trump has displayed transient low oxygen levels that seemed to be taken care with supplemental oxygen. He also has been given dexamethasone, a steroid, in order to prevent inflammation of his lungs. His doctor expects him to be released from Walter Reed tomorrow (Monday).

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