US President Donald Trump "is doing very well" with no fever or difficulty breathing, his doctors said a day after the president was admitted to hospital with Covid-19.
"This morning the president is doing very well," White House doctor Sean Conley told a morning briefing at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, where the president was taken by helicopter on Friday evening.
He said the mild cough, some nasal congestion and fatigue that Mr Trump experienced on Thursday were "resolving and improving", but said it was too early to say how the coronavirus infection might progress.
“The first week of Covid and in particular the days seven to 10 are the most critical in determining the likely course of this illness. At this time the team and I are extremely happy with the progress the President has made,” Dr Conley said.
Col Sean N Dooley, a member of the medical team overseeing Mr Trump's care, said the president was having no difficulty breathing or walking around and his cardiac, kidney and liver functions were all normal.
"We are monitoring him very closely for any evidence of complications from either the coronavirus illness or the therapies that we are prescribing to make him better," Dr Dooley said. "He is in exceptionally good spirits."
White House officials said Mr Trump, 74, would stay at the hospital for the next few days as a precautionary measure.
Dr Conley said late on Friday that Mr Trump had received a first dose of Remdesivir, an intravenous antiviral drug that has been shown to shorten hospital stays.
Dr Conley said earlier on Friday that Mr Trump has received an experimental treatment, Regeneron's REGN-COV2, one of several experimental Covid-19 drugs known as monoclonal antibodies, which are used for treating a wide range of illnesses.
Mr Trump announced that he and first Lady Melania Trump had tested positive in a tweet sent early on Friday. He later announced his move to hospital in a brief video message posted on Twitter.
"I think I'm doing very well, but we're going to make sure that things work out," he said.
Mr Trump's diagnosis was confirmed hours after his close aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the coronavirus, and was followed by confirmation of infection from several other members of his circle.
The illness comes at a critical time for the Republican president, who is trailing his Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls with just weeks to go before the November 3 presidential election.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, joined leaders from around the world in wishing Mr Trump a quick recovery.
"Our best wishes go out to US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, and we hope for their speedy recovery," Sheikh Mohamed wrote on Twitter, adding: "Together the world will overcome the Covid-19 pandemic."
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
