President Biden on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19, according to the White House.
The big picture: Biden, who is fully vaccinated and received a second booster shot in March, has “very mild” symptoms, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
- The 79-year-old president is continuing to work remotely while isolating at the White House and will “carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” Jean-Pierre added. His last negative test was taken on Tuesday.
- Biden is also taking Paxlovid, Pfizer’s COVID antiviral drug, the White House said. Vice President Kamala Harris, who contracted the virus in April, also took Paxlovid.
- Harris tested negative and last saw Biden on Tuesday, a White House official said.
- The White House canceled Biden’s trip to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Thursday and all other travel for at least five days.
- He recently returned from a trip to the Middle East that included stops in Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia and traveled to Massachusetts on Wednesday for an event on climate change.
Between the lines: White House officials are following a detailed plan that has been on the shelf for months, preparing for this exact scenario, according to Biden aides.
- They are now determining who might be deemed a “close contact” for the president and who may have to quarantine as a result.
- To minimize the disruption of potential exposures, officials wear masks in meetings and separate themselves by six feet. Those protocols are more difficult to follow on Air Force One, which Biden traveled on Wednesday.
- Staff did wear masks on the plane to and from the Middle East last week.
What they’re saying: “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. Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work,” Jean-Pierre said in the statement.
- “Out of an abundance of transparency, the White House will provide a daily update on the President’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation,” she added.
White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a letter that Biden’s symptoms include “mostly rhinorrhea (or ‘runny nose’) and fatigue, with an occasional dry cough, which started yesterday evening.”
What is Paxlovid
Paxlovid is authorized to treat those who are at high risk of developing severe COVID, including cases that lead to hospitalization or death, Axios’ Oriana Gonzalez writes.
- The CDC says that adults aged 50 and older, like Biden, are more likely to get severely ill with the virus.
- Pfizer said in December that Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization or death among high-risk adults by 89%.
Don’t forget: In addition to older adults, the CDC considers people to be at high risk if they have underlying medical conditions, such as cancer, kidney disease, lung disease and diabetes, among others.
- Other high-risk individuals include people who are more likely to be exposed to the virus due to their work and those who cannot access health care.
How it works: The pill is most effective when taken early in the course of the infection. The FDA says patients should take Paxlovid “as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset.”
- The treatment is administered as three tablets that should be taken orally twice a day for five days.
Source:axios.com