Donald Trump’s election campaign upended by coronavirus diagnosis as his health remains unclear

US president expected to spend a few more days in hospital as more aides are confirmed infected, sparking questions about White House testing

Doctors say he’s in ‘good spirits’, but insiders say his vitals over the last 24 hours are ‘very concerning’ and the next 48 hours are critical to recovery

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US President Donald Trump walks across the White House lawn to the Marine One helicopter prior to being flown to Walter Reed Military Medical Center on Friday. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:51am, 4 Oct 2020Updated: 9:04am, 4 Oct 2020

US President Donald Trump remained in hospital for a second day on Saturday after testing positive for Covid-19 amid conflicting reports on the state of his health, as Washington and the rest of the world assessed the fallout for American policy and his re-election campaign.

The news about a leader who has long downplayed the gravity of the disease comes as more than 208,000 Americans have died from its deadly spread and millions more have been infected, and in the final stretch of a tough-fought re-election campaign with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

In a tweet posted just before midnight on Friday, Trump said, “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”.

Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis ‘worst nightmare’ for campaign: strategist

At a press conference in front of Walter Reed military hospital, White House doctor Sean Conley said the president was “doing well” and that he was “extremely happy” with Trump’s progress.

But White House pool reporters, citing a source familiar with the president’s health and speaking on background, painted a less rosy picture: “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.”