Donald Trump 'was nearly put on a ventilator and was more ill with Covid than White House claimed'

Donald Trump was so sick with coronavirus last year that medics feared he would have to be put on a ventilator, according to the New York Times.

Sources told the newspaper that Mr Trump's oxygen levels were "extremely depressed" at one point during his illness.

The then-president also had lung infiltrates which caused his lungs to become inflamed with fluid or bacteria. The condition is thought to be present in severe coronavirus cases.

The revelations suggest Mr Trump's illness, coming just a month before the 2020 presidential election, was much more serious than previously declared.

Sources told the New York Times that officials were so worried by Mr Trump's condition before he was hospitalised that they believed he would need to be intubated.

Mr Trump reportedly resisted being admitted to hospital until aides persuaded him it was better to leave while he could walk unassisted, rather than risking waiting until he needed to be carried out.

The president was taken to Walter Reed hospital less than 24 hours after his Covid-19 diagnosis.

At the time, the White House closely guarded updates over the 45th president's health and only revealed he had received supplemental oxygen after it was reported by US media.

The new claims raise questions over the briefings provided by White House medics.

Mr Trump’s physician, Dr Sean P Conley, said none of his results showed anything of "any major clinical concern” and his blood oxygen levels had never dropped below 90 per cent.

According to the New York Times, Mr Trump's oxygen levels dipped into the low 80s at one point, causing extreme concern among his inner circle.