confusing

Information about President Trump’s condition has been incomplete, confusing and, at times, contradictory since early Friday morning when the commander in chief announced that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Trump’s medical team, led by White House physician Sean Conley, has been criticized for painting a rosy portrait of Trump’s condition Saturday, without disclosing that the president had been given supplemental oxygen or put on a steroid that is usually reserved for severely ill coronavirus patients.

[Trump returns to White House, downplaying virus that hospitalized him]

“I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, over his course of illness, has had,” Conley said. “I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction. And in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true. … The fact of the matter is that he’s doing really well.”

Conley and his team cleared Trump to be discharged from the hospital Monday evening, though many experts note that the president is still at a stage in the illness when patients are prone to unexpected complications, and Conley himself acknowledged that he wouldn’t take a “final deep sigh of relief” until early next week.

Mixed signals on the severity of Trump’s illness

Trump and his doctors have repeatedly assured the public that all is well, though Robert Wachter, chairman of the University of California at San Francisco’s department of medicine, told The Washington Post that, based on the details we know about the president’s hospitalization and treatment, it seemed unwise to discharge him from the hospital.

“For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone, I can’t think of a situation in which a patient would be okay to leave on Day 3, even with the White House’s medical capacity,” he said.

Conley and his team have also refused to discuss the president’s lung scans, saying only that “there’s some expected findings, but nothing of any major clinical concern.”

Statements are from Trump’s doctors, President Trump or other White House officials.

Friday Oct. 2

Friday afternoon

Friday evening

“I’m going to Walter Reed hospital. I think I’m doing very well.”— President Trump

Saturday Oct. 3

Saturday evening

“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.”— Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff

Saturday night

“President Trump continues to do well, having made substantial progress since diagnosis. This evening he completed the second dose of Remdesivir without complication.”— Sean Conley

Sunday Oct. 4

Sunday morning

“The President has experienced two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation … It was the determination of the team … that we initiate Dexamethasone.”— Sean Conley

Sunday morning

“[Asked why he was