Trump returned to the White House in a helicopter after spending several days at Walter Reed Medical Center battling Covid-19. Photo / AP
US President Donald Trump has checked out of hospital and returned to the Covid-plagued White House, declaring he will be "back on the campaign trail soon".
Trump returned to the White House in a helicopter after spending several days at Walter Reed Medical Center battling Covid-19.
The President was wearing a face mask as he left the hospital at 6.40pm local time and waved to supporters and gave the thumbs-up.
He refused to answers questions about whether he might be a "superspreader" before he got into a vehicle convoy to be taken to a waiting helicopter.
"I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30pm (9:30am AEST)," he said earlier today on Twitter.
"Feeling really good! Don't be afraid of COVID. Don't let it dominate your life.
"We have developed, under the Trump administration, some really great drugs and knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!"
Trump returns to a White House in the grip of Covid, with another of his inner-circle, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, testing positive - and serious questions as to whether his health is up to leaving fulltime medical care.
While he "may not be out of the woods yet", his vital signs and clinical status supported the release of the president back to the White House, his physician Dr Sean Conley said today.
He will continue to receive "world-class" medical care at the White House, including a fifth and final injection of remdesivir. He would also continue to receive the steroid drug dexamethasone.
Conley said it was more than 72 hours since Trump's last fever. His temperature was 98.1 degrees, blood-oxygen level 97, blood pressure 134 over 78, and his heart rate was 68 beats per minute.
He would not reveal details of lung scans.
Earlier, Trump said he was leaving hospital at 11.30am (NZT) today after a three-day stay to treat his Covid-19 symptoms.
The President tweeted: "I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30pm. Feeling really good! Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!"
The virus has killed nearly 210,000 Americans.
Trump's nonchalant message about not fearing the virus comes as his own administration has encouraged Americans to be very careful and take precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the disease as cases continue to spike across the country.
Biden urges Americans to lower the political temperature after Trump’s election win.