Washington, D.C. – Joe Biden, the oldest person ever to serve as president of the United States, has tested positive for COVID-19, is experiencing mild symptoms, and will continue working, but in isolation, the White House said on Thursday.
Biden, 79, has a runny nose, fatigue, and an occasional dry cough, which he began to experience late on Wednesday, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a note made public on Thursday.
Biden has begun taking the anti-viral treatment Paxlovid, O’Connor said.
“He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” she said, referring to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The White House will provide a daily update on the president’s health, Jean-Pierre said.
Multiple members of Biden’s administration and other senior figures in Washington have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent months, including Vice-President Kamala Harris in April, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
All have since tested negative and resumed working.
While many Americans have moved on from the strict precautions of the pandemic’s early months, returning to offices and schools and resuming summer travel, the virus continues to spread.
Cases in the United States are up more than 25 per cent in the last month, according to CDC data, as the rapidly spreading BA.5 subvariant has taken hold.
(Reuters)
