The condition of former US President Donald Trump with Covid-19 became so worrying last year that there was talk of putting him on a respirator, according to what Trump said to a person at the time, raising questions about whether the White House downplayed the seriousness of his situation.
The new details of what happened while Trump was hospitalized at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in October were first reported by The New York Times on Thursday. At the time, CNN reported that Trump had received supplemental oxygen, citing a source with knowledge of Trump’s treatment.
The details invite further scrutiny over the vague comments of Trump’s doctor, Dr. Sean Conley, who last year refused to answer directly to reporters’ questions about whether Trump was taking oxygen, repeatedly emphasizing that he was not “now” . When asked if Trump had received him, Conley said, “He didn’t need any this morning, today.” Asked if he had already taken supplemental oxygen as part of his treatment, Conley said, “At the moment, he is not,” adding, “Yesterday and today, he was not using oxygen.”
Here’s what else you need to know on Friday …
P: With the coronavirus variants here, should I still get the vaccine?
ONE: Certainly, says CNN medical analyst, Dr. Leana Wen. The effectiveness of vaccines against new variants will need to be studied continuously, and it is possible that, as more mutations and variants emerge, we will need booster vaccines, or even an annual vaccine such as the flu vaccine, which is updated every year.
But we just don’t know when these booster shots can be launched, said Wen. “It may take months, and booster vaccines may require you to complete the vaccine series first. If you have the opportunity to get the vaccine now, you must do this to protect yourself. Remember that the vaccines we still have are effective against variants. ” Read here for more information from Dr. Wen.
Fans banned from the Australian Open after the state registered 13 Covid-19 cases: The Australian state of Victoria will be closed for five days in an attempt to stem the spread of a more contagious coronavirus variant, meaning that the Australian Open in Melbourne will take place without fans during what is usually its busiest days.
The injection of Pfizer triggers a strong immune response to new variants: One study found that people who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine have strong immune responses to the Covid-19 variants first identified in the UK and South Africa.
WhatsApp and sermons: how some Britons are making more blacks and other minority ethnic groups get the vaccine: According to data from OpenSAFELY, blacks in the most vulnerable age group over 80 were about half as likely to be vaccinated as their white counterparts in late January, although blacks are disproportionately affected by the virus, writes Christopher Johnson .
A version of this story appeared in the February 12 issue of the Coronavirus: Fact vs. CNN Fiction. Sign up here to get the headlines you need to know every day of the week.
