BREAKING NEWSPresident Joe Biden Has COVID-19, White House Confirms
July 21 2022, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
“This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms. He has begun taking Paxlovid. 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,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said about his condition.
This is the first time the politician, 79, has tested positive for COVID-19. Jean-Pierre added that Biden will take Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid.
Biden was previously in contact with John Kerry and Elizabeth Warren, but no word on if they tested positive for the virus.
Last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the chief medical adviser to the president and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tested positive as well.
"Paxlovid did what it was supposed to do," the 81-year-old expert told the New York Times about the drug.
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"I think there is understandable confusion when people hear about people rebounding," he continued of testing positive again shortly after testing negative. "Don't confuse that with the original purpose of what Paxlovid is meant for. It's not meant to prevent you from rebounding. It's meant to prevent you from being hospitalized. I'm 81 years old, I was at risk for hospitalization and I didn't even come close to being sick enough to be hospitalized."
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Though Biden is at higher risk since he's above 50 years old, it seems like the vaccines and boosters will work to keep him out of the hospital.
“The bottom line is he is vaccinated and boosted. He is very well protected. He’s got very good protocols around him to protect him from getting infected. But there is no 100 percent anything,” White House Covid-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said.
When Donald Trump was in office, he tested positive for the virus and was sent to the hospital, where he received various treatments.
