According to Fox news
The president’s physician says President Trump was treated with a steroid after a drop in oxygen levels on Saturday.
Dr. Sean Conley said at a news conference on Sunday that he was given the steroid dexamethasone while he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Conley said the president’s oxygen level had dropped down to 93% on Saturday. He says the president did not feel short of breath.
Trump’s blood oxygen level currently stands at 98%, Trump’s medical team said.
… Which is another argument not to allow the patient to unduly influence timing of discharge.
No reason for him to be anywhere but the hospital for the next few days. He needs strict isolation anyway & can work from hospital, so leaving prematurely would only add risk. (2/2)
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) October 4, 2020
Blood oxygen saturation is a key health marker for coronavirus patients. A normal reading is between 95 and 100. A drop below 90 is concerning.
Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a specialist in pulmonary critical care, said Trump received a second dose of the experimental drug remdesivir along with a first dose of dexamethasone Saturday and isn’t showing any side effects “that we can tell.”
“In response to transient low oxygen levels … we did initiate dexamethasone therapy, and he received his first dose of that yesterday,” said Garibaldi during a press briefing outside the facility. “Our plan is to continue that for the time being.”
Dexamethasone and similar steroids now are known to improve survival when used in hospitalized patients who need extra oxygen, but might be harmful for less sick patients.