Trump Put On Steroid Recommended For 'Severe' COVID-19 Cases, 'May Cause Harm In Less Severe Cases'

President Donald Trump’s doctors said Sunday they had begun treating him with dexamethasone, a steroid that has shown promise for critically ill patients but may cause harm to those with less severe cases of Covid-19.

The revelation, which came as part of an upbeat briefing on the president’s condition, raised further questions about Trump’s health as the 74-year-old wrestles with the virus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans.

Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician at the Boston University School of Medicine, said the steroid treatment suggests that Trump has a level of inflammation that warrants the use of steroids despite the fact that the drug also suppresses the immune system.

“That they made a conscious decision that the benefit of giving steroids outweighs the risk implies a higher degree of severity than what we knew on Friday and Saturday,” Bhadelia said in an email.

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— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2020