US Futures Rise As President Trump's Medical Team Suggests Monday Return To White House

U.S. futures spiked on Sunday night as of President Donald Trump's healthcare providers expressed optimism over his timely return to the White House.

What Happened: Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a member of Trump’s medical team, said the President could be discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment for COVID-19, as early as Monday, and be back in the White House, CNN reported.

Garibaldi's comments came amid uncertainty over Trump's health, with contradicting reports. The president's physicians had revealed earlier in the day that he was being treated with dexamethasone, a powerful steroid reserved for extreme COVID-19 cases, CNBC reported.

Dr. Vin Gupta, a faculty member at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told CNBC that the disclosure indicates the president may be suffering from pneumonia.

Trump’s physician Dr. Sean Conley said that Trump had suffered two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation, according to CNN.

“It was a determination of the team based on the timeline from the initial diagnosis that we initiate dexamethasone,” said Conley.

The president left the hospital briefly on Sunday — to be driven around in an SUV in order to greet his supporters, CBS News reported.

Why It Matters: Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious disease specialist at the Boston University School of Medicine, told CNBC that she would not discharge someone who was just put on steroids.

Conflicting accounts of the president’s treatment have emerged since Saturday as his doctors remain evasive on key health parameters including on whether he required supplemental oxygen.

Meanwhile, several members of the president’s inner circle at the Republican party have tested positive for COVID-19, including three senators.

Price Action: S&P 500 futures rose 0.77% to 3,365, while Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures gained 0.78% to 22,779. Nasdaq futures traded 1.06% higher at 11,352.50 at press time.

Photo courtesy: Michael Vadon via Wikimedia