President didn't disclose 1st positive test, sources say

The president had already tested positive Thursday when he appeared on Fox News.

ByMatt Zarrell, Jon Haworth, Ivan Pereira, and Marc Nathanson
Last Updated: October 5, 2020, 7:58 AM EDT

President Donald Trump's condition is continuing to improve as he fights a coronavirus infection, doctors say, and he may be able to leave Walter Reed Medical Center as early as Monday -- even as details emerge that the president allegedly initially tested positive for COVID-19 earlier than he acknowledged.

Doctors also reported that Trump, over the course of exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, had earlier experienced two episodes of "transient drops" in his oxygen saturation.

Yet the president was feeling well enough Sunday evening to briefly leave Walter Reed for a surprise drive-by, waving to supporters outside the hospital.

Meanwhile, numerous questions remain about how many people at the highest levels of government had been exposed to the virus after a week of events involving the president where social distancing and mask-wearing were lax in the White House and elsewhere.

Sunday's headlines:

Here is how the news developed on Sunday. All times Eastern.
Oct 04, 2020, 11:53 AM EDT

Trump's oxygen levels have dropped twice since onset of symptoms

Dr. Conley said over the course of exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, President Trump has experienced two episodes of "transient drops" in his oxygen saturation.

The medical team decided to administer the steroid dexamethasone based on the timeline from the initial diagnosis and concerns over "possible rapid progression of the illness."

"Thursday night into Friday morning when I left the bedside the president was doing well, with only mild symptoms and his oxygen was in the high 90s," Conley said. "Late Friday morning, when I returned to the bedside, the president had a high fever and his oxygen saturation was transiently dipping below 94%. Given these two developments, I was concerned for possible rapid progression of the illness"

Oct 04, 2020, 11:47 AM EDT

Trump continues to improve, doctors say

President Trump's condition has continued to improve, physician to the president Dr. Sean Conley told reporters on Sunday. He has not had a fever since Friday morning and is not complaining of shortness of breath.

Oct 04, 2020, 11:15 AM EDT

Briefing expected outside Walter Reed

A press conference will be held around 11:30 a.m. outside Walter Reed Medical Center, the White House told the press pool, as Trump continues undergoing treatment for the coronavirus.

The briefing is expected to be from Dr. Conley and the president’s medical team.

Oct 04, 2020, 9:51 AM EDT

Nearly 3 in 4 think Trump did not take appropriate virus precautions: POLL

As President Donald Trump remains hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after contracting COVID-19 this week, nearly 3 out of every 4 Americans doubt that he took seriously the threat posed to his well-being nor the steps necessary to avoid contracting the virus, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday.

In two separate questions, an identical 72% said that Trump did not take the "risk of contracting the virus seriously enough," nor "the appropriate precautions when it came to his personal health." The poll was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' Knowledge Panel on Friday and Saturday, following Trump's positive test early Friday morning.

In each of the two questions, over 2 in 5 (43%) Republicans hold the negative sentiments about Trump's mindset and preventative actions regarding the coronavirus, compared to 95% and 94% of Democrats, respectively.

-ABC News' Adam Kelsey