Trump Departs Walter Reed, Says 'Don't Be Afraid' Of COVID-19 As Virus-Related Death Toll Nears 210K In US

President Donald Trump was taken to the Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday to treat his coronavirus diagnosis.

While at Walter Reed, Trump was given several treatments including an experimental antibody treatment from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals REGN and remdesivir, an anti-viral from Gilead Sciences GILD.

Trump tweeted on Monday afternoon he will return to the White House later in the evening, while CNN reports aides encouraged him to stay in the hospital.

As of Oct. 4, over 209,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 or complications related to COVID-19.

I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020

What Was Said Monday: Walter Reed doctors said they administered three remdesivir treatments to Trump and plan on giving him his fourth treatment before he leaves the hospital. Plans have been made to get Trump his fifth treatment at the White House.

Trump’s doctor Sean Conley says Trump has met all “discharge benchmarks" but is "not out of the woods yet.” Trump will continue to get dexomethosone, a steroid with side effects given to some very sick COVID-19 patients.

Why It’s Important: Trump’s treatment by Regeneron and Gilead has put the spotlight on their stocks. Trump’s tweet highlights that “some really great drugs” have been developed under his administration.

Regeneron CEO Dr. Leonard Schleifer was on CNBC Monday highlighting his company’s role in Trump’s treatment.

“We think that giving that antibody makes a lot of sense because it is just doing what the immune system is supposed to do but hasn’t quite done yet,” said Schleifer.

Shleifer said he was “proud” that the president’s team requested the treatment from Regeneron.

Regeneron’s treatment helps “clear the virus” from the body and helps the immune system battle against early stages of infection according to Schleifer.

What's Next: Thirteen people in Trump’s inner circle have tested positive in the last week, including Monday’s announced press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Others include Melania Trump, Hope Hicks, Nicholas Luna, Chris Christie, Mike Lee, Thom Tillis, Ron Johnson, Kellyanne Conway, Chad Gilmartin, Karoline Leavitt, Bill Stepien and Ronna McDaniel

Shares of Regeneron were up 8% at the time of writing to $609.94. Shares of Gilead Sciences were up 3% to $63.81.

Editor's note: Trump was seen leaving the hospital around 6:30 p.m. ET.

BREAKING: President Trump departs Walter Reed medical center, 3 days after entering the hospital. https://t.co/yRXb45PrNBpic.twitter.com/zbQinMyK6U

— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) October 5, 2020

President Donald J. Trump greets supporters during a drive by outside of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in Bethesda, Md. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)