Quadruple vaxxed Biden has COVID: President, 79, is isolating in White House and taking Paxlovid after testing positive with ‘very mild’ symptoms following day in Massachusetts
- White House announced on Thursday that Biden tested positive for COVID-19
- His press secretary said he was experiencing ‘very mild’ symptoms
- He will work from the White House residence, and take part in planned meetings via Zoom and phone, according to Karine Jean-Pierre
- The White House said first lady Jill Biden had tested negative
President Joe Biden has contracted COVID-19, the White House announced on Thursday morning.
‘This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms,’ said Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
‘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.’
Biden, 79, had two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office. He received a first booster shot in September and a second on March 30.
The president has defied the odds until now. While the virus cut a swath through Washington’s political class – from Vice President Kamala Harris to cabinet secretaries and successive press secretaries – Biden has avoided testing positive.
In part that was because of stringent measures to protect the commander-in-chief, such as not serving water to guests in his presence – lest they remove their masks – and seating him 10ft from participants in meetings.
Jean-Pierre said Biden’s last negative test was Tuesday.
President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday morning, a day after he traveled to Massachusetts to deliver a major speech on climate change
And she said the White House will provide a daily update on his health and that the president will take part in his planned meetings by phone and Zoom from the White House residence.
‘Consistent with White House protocol for positive COVID cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative,’ she added.
‘Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work.’
Top White House officials in recent months have been matter-of-fact about the likelihood of the president getting COVID, a measure of how engrained the virus has become in society — and of its diminished threat for those who are up to date on their vaccinations and with access to treatments.
When administered within five days of symptoms appearing, Paxlovid, produced by drugmaker Pfizer, has been proven to bring about a 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease.
In an April 30 speech to more than 2,600 attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Biden acknowledged the risks of attending large events, but said it was worthwhile to attend.
‘I know there are questions about whether we should gather here tonight because of COVID,’ he said. ‘Well, we’re here to show the country that we’re getting through this pandemic.’
Yet, the White House has gone to great lengths to keep Biden healthy.
For example, during a February meeting with governors he was the only one to be given a glass of water. And he sat more than 10 feet away from everyone, including Harris.
Staff entering wearing surgical masks have been handed the more protective N95 version.
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