Former US President Donald Trump was sicker with COVID-19 than the public was led to believe with dangerously low blood oxygen levels and a lung problem.
Trump tested positive for the virus on October 2, 2020 the same day he was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
According to the New York Times, four people familiar with Trump's condition have now revealed he was so sick that day officials believed he would have to be put on a ventilator.
The sources said Trump's blood oxygen levels dropped into the 80s - a cause for extreme concern. A normal blood oxygen reading is usually 95 percent or higher and COVID-19 patients are considered severe when levels fall into the low 90s.
Trump also had lung infiltrates, a problem that occurs when lungs are inflamed and contain substances such as fluid or bacteria. They can be a sign of an acute case of the disease.
Infiltrates cause parts of the lungs to appear opaque or white on an X Ray, making the condition easily identifiable.
Medical professionals involved in Trump's treatment stayed tight-lipped throughout, downplaying the severity of his illness while other officials shared conflicting views.
Just minutes after Trump's doctors talked of his improving condition the White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters Trump's vital signs were "concerning".
"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."
Dr Sean P. Conely continued to provide vague updates on Trump's condition. When asked if there was evidence of pneumonia or damage to his lungs during an X Ray he said there was "expected findings, but nothing of any major concern".
He also told media Trump's blood oxygen level dropped to 93 percent but never into the "low 80s."
According to the New York Times, Trump struggled with his breathing at the White House and received oxygen twice before his transfer to Walter Reed.
He also received a dose of an experimental antibody drug made by drug company Regeneron alongside steroids and dexamethasone - a drug usually recommended for COVID-19 patients who are critical.
Medical experts at the time saying these drugs were a telltale sign of Trump's poor health.
On October 4, Dr Conley admitted to downplaying Trump's condition saying he was trying to "reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, his course of illness had."
By October 8 Trump told the public he was no longer infectious and was in "great shape."
