US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, forcing him to suddenly cancel a speech to Latino advocacy group UnidosUS in Las Vegas.
The 81-year-old president swiftly returned to his vacation home in Delaware to recuperate and wait out the virus.
The president’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said that Biden “presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorrhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise. “He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus.
“Given this, the President will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals. PCR confirmation testing will be pending. His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97 percent. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid (an anti-viral medication). He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth,” O’Connor added.
Biden, who was not wearing a mask, told reporters he was “doing well” as Air Force One landed in Delaware at around 10:30 pm.
This is not the first time Biden has had the virus: he tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2022 as well. But unlike Donald Trump, who also became ill with the virus before vaccines were available during his own term in the White House, Biden did not require hospitalization.
The president has faced a plethora of Democratic lawmakers calling for him to abandon his run for re-election following his less-than-stellar performance during his first debate with Republican presidential candidate and 45th President Donald Trump.
After weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats, Biden said in a BET interview taped Tuesday and released Wednesday that he might reconsider and leave the race “if I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, ‘you got this problem and that problem.'”
But White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was careful to avoid any discussion of the election while issuing a statement to reporters on Wednesday evening.
“Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre said.
“He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. The White House will provide regular updates on the President’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
It is not yet known whether Biden will be well enough to return to the White House and meet as scheduled with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next Monday, July 22. Netanyahu was to meet with the president prior to addressing a joint session of the Congress on Thursday, July 25.
