President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday morning, the White House revealed. According to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the president is experiencing “mild symptoms” and has begun taking the anti-viral drug Paxlovid to treat the severity of the illness, the Associated Press said. According to a memo from the president’s physician, those mild symptoms include a runny nose, fatigue and dry cough.
Biden is fully vaccinated and double-boosted. He had, until now, been able to avoid the virus despite the fact that several people in his close circle had been infected, including Vice President Kamala Harris and multiple Cabinet members and White House staffers.
A memo from the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said Biden was experiencing a runny nose, fatigue, and an occasional dry cough, which started Wednesday evening.
Jean-Pierre told the press that Biden “will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence.”
The president’s positive test comes as the nation is seeing a COVID-19 wave that prompted the administration to renew the national COVID-19 public-health emergency, CNN reported.
This story has been updated.
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