President Biden tests positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, the oldest person to ever hold the office, tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, but said his symptoms were mild and credited vaccines and booster shots with keeping him healthy.
Biden is “experiencing very mild symptoms” of COVID-19 and has begun taking Paxlovid, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “Consistent with (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.”
Early Thursday afternoon, the White House tweeted a photo of Biden seated at a desk, making calls from the residence. “Folks, I’m doing great. Thanks for your concern,” the tweet read. “Keeping busy!” Another tweet included a video of Biden standing on the Truman Balcony and describing his relief at having been vaccinated and boosted.
“I’m doing well, getting a lot of work done,” Biden says in the video. “In the meantime, thanks for your concern. And keep the faith — it’s going to be OK.”
A COVID-19 diagnosis for any 79year-old is cause for concern, but Biden’s vaccination status may help him avoid serious complications. He received a fourth vaccine dose on March 30 and was found to be in good health during his annual physical last November.
According to a letter from the president’s doctor released by the White House, Biden tested positive first on an antigen test and had his diagnosis confirmed by a subsequent PCR test. His symptoms were a runny nose, fatigue and “an occasional dry cough that started (Wednesday) evening.”
“The president is fully vaccinated and twice-boosted, so I anticipate he will respond favorably, as most maximally protected patients do,” Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote.
The White House scrubbed Biden’s schedule for the next five days. Prior to his positive test, the president had planned to travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia on Thursday before continuing on to his home in Wilmington for the weekend. Vice President Kamala Harris tested negative on Thursday, her office said. She last spent time with Biden on Tuesday and planned to continue with her scheduled events.
The president’s positive test comes amid a rise in cases nationally due to the highly contagious BA.5 variant and after a wave of high-profile COVID-19 diagnoses in Washington, as Cabinet members, senior aides and lawmakers have all contracted the virus. According to the CDC, the seven-day average of new cases increased 15.7% in the last week, while the rate of hospitalizations also rose by 14.4%.