Trump, back in the Oval, seeks election boost

U.S. President Donald Trump was back in the Oval Office Wednesday, after his doctor said he had gone 24 hours without any coronavirus symptoms.

White House doctor Sean Conley said Trump, who hasn't been seen in public since being discharged from the hospital, has been fever-free for more than four days and has not needed or received any supplemental oxygen since being hospitalized.

Dr. Conley added that Trump's physical exam and vital signs "all remain stable and in normal range" and that the president - who in all likelihood is still contagious - told him he feels "great!"

And while he may be recovering, his campaign is still ailing, according to recent opinion polls. Aides say Trump is looking for ways to put a spark back in his struggling re-election bid.

With Election Day just weeks away, aides say they had been discussing Trump delivering a national address, while a speech to senior voters is being contemplated for Thursday.

Trump is impatient to get back on the campaign trail, according to the aides, and insistent on going ahead with the next presidential debate on Oct. 15 in Miami, but former Vice President Joe Biden this week said he will not participate if Trump still has the coronavirus.

Biden: "Well, I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn't have a debate."

Earlier Wednesday, White House's chief of staff Mark Meadows assured reporters that the White House would be ready when Trump returned to work. That includes staff near the president wearing masks, googles and other protective wear.

"If he decides to go to the Oval we've got safety protocols there that are not only from a PPE standpoint but from a ventilation standpoint in the Oval where we can actually work to that end as well."

Photos show cleaning crews in hazmat suits hard at work in parts of the West Wing and the briefing room.

This as the White House Correspondents' Association on Wednesday urged reporters 'to avoid working from the White House grounds entirely if it can be avoided' as more and more White House staffers become infected with the virus.