Agreed, short term steroids are typically ok for many patients (though not appropriate for all). Side effects, may have a long list, though typically there is not much that would be considered significant for many patients. We give pred/methyl-p and Dex all the time, without many issues.

Ohm may also be correct in this case regarding steroid use specifically in COVID. The problem is not really about fighting off the virus. The harmful aspect is an increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infections, and ground glass infiltrates in the lungs, bilaterally, as a result of the immunosuppression (which is already augmented from COVID).

So with the information provided, it is odd in my limited hospital experience to be prescribing a steroid as potent as Dexamethasone this early on, when many patients have long-lasting lung scarring and reduced lung capacity resulting from the ground glass infiltrates, due to secondary infections. With symptoms this mild, I'm surprised they wouldn't just start on a lower dose prednisone rather than bump him up to the most potent steroid. Or if he's in a negative pressure room, starting some nebulized budesonide to aid in reducing lung inflammation, without having much in terms of systemic absorption.

But this is just my opinion.

I am not a doctor, just an RN. I have not evaluated POTUS (obviously), and so I do not know the specific situation he is in, and thus do not know his current lab values that necessitate treatment.