US Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'doing well' after hospital visit

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Justice Ginsburg is the most senior liberal judge on the US Supreme Court

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from hospital after suffering chills and a fever, the court says.

The 86-year-old is "doing well" after returning home on Sunday, a court spokeswoman said.

The court said Ms Ginsburg on Friday.

She was then transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital for "treatment of any possible infection", the court said.

Her symptoms improved after she was given intravenous antibiotics and fluids, the court said.

As the court's most senior liberal justice, her health is closely watched.

The hospital visit came days after Ms Ginsburg returned to the Supreme Court's bench after missing a session the previous week due to a stomach bug.

Ms Ginsburg is the oldest sitting justice on the Supreme Court, and has received hospital treatment a number of times in recent years.

In August, she was treated for a cancerous tumour on her pancreas. She received treatment for colon cancer in 1999, and pancreatic cancer in 2009.

In December 2018 she had surgery to remove two cancerous nodules from her lung.

She has also suffered fractured ribs from falls.

US Supreme Court justices serve for life or until they choose to retire, and supporters have expressed concern that if anything were to happen to Ms Ginsburg then a more conservative justice could replace her.

President Donald Trump has appointed two judges since taking office, and the current court is seen to have a 5-4 conservative majority in most cases.