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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 5 october 2020

cisions. In May, Conley pre- tion about his condition is deciding to move Trump to
scribed Trump a two-week released publicly, as is true Walter Reed meant Con-
course of the malaria drug in any doctor-patient rela- ley would be backed up
hydroxychloroquine to pro- tionship. by a team of critical care
tect against the coronavi- But Conley as a military experts who specialize in
rus after two White House medical officer is bound pulmonary and infectious
staffers had tested posi- to adhere to the Uniform disease.
tive. Rigorous studies have Code of Military Justice, Several are Walter Reed
made clear that hydroxy- which prohibits lying, he staff, but the team also
chloroquine, which Trump said. brought in Dr. Brian Garib-
long championed, does no A number of current and aldi from nearby Johns
good in either treating or former military officials de- Hopkins University, a well-
preventing COVID-19. clined to comment on the known expert in acute lung
This time around, Conley record, referring all ques- injury who has cared for
is being put to an even tions to the White House. COVID-19 patients.
greater test, trying to bal- But several said they were Garibaldi told a Hopkins
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, listens as Dr. Sean ance informing a public concerned that Conley's publication over the sum-
Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, briefs reporters at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., that needs honesty about efforts to spin a more up- mer that he had enrolled
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. the condition of the presi- beat characterization of in a study testing if hydroxy-
Associated Press dent with a patient who the president's current chloroquine could protect
dislikes appearing vulner- health condition is raising health workers -- even as
Continued from Front medical and science offi- able. flags within the Navy about he said doctors must "resist
"It's a little unusual to have cer. With the steroid news, Dr. Stephen Xenakis, a psy- his credibility and the repu- the urge to give this medi-
to guess what's really go- "there's a little bit of a dis- chiatrist who retired from tation of the Navy's medi- cine to everyone. We all
ing on because the clinical connect." the Army medical corps as cal team. They said his ad- want to do something to
descriptions are so vague," Conley has been Trump's a brigadier general, said mission that he tried to give help our patients but some-
said Dr. Steven Shapiro, physician since 2018 -- and Conley would be obliged an optimistic description of times doing something can
the University of Pittsburgh already has experienced to follow Trump's wishes Trump's condition may lead be more harmful than do-
Medical Center's chief some criticism about his de- regarding what informa- the public to question fu- ing nothing and I think we
ture information he or the need to keep that in mind."
other doctors provide. What's known about
They spoke on condition Trump's current treatment:
of anonymity to discuss He was given an experi-
internal conversations or mental antibody drug that
because they are not part most people could get only
of the president's medical in a research study -- along
team and therefore do not with a course of remdesi-
have details on his condi- vir, an antiviral, earlier than
tion. According to medi- most patients.
cal licensing records from Pittsburgh's Shapiro, who
Virginia, Conley graduated is both a lung and critical
from the Philadelphia Col- care specialist, called those
lege of Osteopathic Medi- reasonable decisions: The
cine in 2006. Rather than idea is to help the body
having an M.D. degree, fight the virus early, before
Conley is a D.O., or doctor it triggers a lung-damaging
of osteopathic medicine inflammatory overreaction.
-- a fully licensed physician What Trump's medical team
but one that, according to hasn't mentioned: Whether
the American Osteopathic he's getting blood thinners,
Association, focuses more which are being given to
holistically on treating the nearly all hospitalized CO-
"whole person." VID-19 patients to prevent
Conley went on to a resi- virus-triggered blood clots
dency in emergency medi- that in turn harm the lungs
cine at the Naval Medi- and other organs.
cal Center in Portsmouth, And giving the steroid drug
Virginia, and served at a to a mildly sick patient disre-
NATO trauma hospital at gards treatment guidelines
Kandahar airfield in Af- from the National Institutes
ghanistan. of Health and World Health
A trauma expert isn't re- Organization that say it's
quired to be up to speed only for people ill enough
on respiratory viruses -- but to need oxygen. q