CNN’s Dr. Gupta Questions Trump Medications: ‘Steroids in Particular’ are ‘Typically Given to Severely or Critically Ill Patients’

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta questioned the medications President Donald Trump has taken since testing positive for the coronavirus, noting that steroids are “typically given to severely or critically ill patients.”

Before discussing Trump’s treatment plan, Gupta first addressed the president’s message following his time at Walter Reed Hospital and pointed out that he has had world-class treatment.

Gupta pointed out that there must have been some concern from doctors if they gave the president three different medications to combat the virus, one of which is not authorized for emergency use.

“So it is a very aggressive treatment that he’s been able to receive and maybe that’s the reason that he is doing better than he was before. We’re really not sure. Maybe he was just going to improve on his own. We don’t know,” he said.

“But the thing about that that struck me, Poppy [Harlow], in addition to, you know, whatever this coronavirus — you don’t need to fear it. What does that mean, you don’t need to fear it? It is a contagious, deadly disease that has led to 210,000 people losing their lives. Is he advocating for a herd immunity strategy? You don’t need to fear it, so do whatever you want and let the infection rip through the country.”

Gupta noted that if we were to just let the coronavirus spread without taking any precautionary measures, close to 2 million more people would die, hospitals would get overwhelmed, and the country would, once again, come to a halt.

Harlow then asked Gupta if he felt as if he was getting clarity from the briefings held by Trump’s doctor. Gupta admitted he did not sense transparency, but knew Trump would be returning from the hospital on Monday because that was the expectation set by the administration.

“There was no way the president wasn’t going home the next day. It would have seemed like a failure if he didn’t go home. So they boxed themselves into that corner at that point saying he was possibly going to go home the next day,” he said before analyzing Trump’s cocktail of medication.

“What we still don’t know is why these various medications were added, what triggered that. Again, the steroids in particular are a medication typically given to severely or critically ill patients. It has significant side effects it can change people’s behavior, make them not able to sleep, restless, really hungry. It’s not a medication that you give lightly. Remdesivir is a medication that should only be given in hospitals.”

Watch above, via CNN.