White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Thursday announced President Joe Biden has contracted COVID-19, adding he is experiencing mild symptoms.
Jean-Pierre explained the president has been fully vaccinated and received two boosters, adding he has begun taking Paxlovid. She said Biden’s last previous COVID-19 test was Tuesday, which returned a negative result.
“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,” the president’s press secretary said. “Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work.”
Biden took to Twitter Thursday to reinforce Jean-Pierre’s remarks about his condition.
“Folks, I’m doing great,” Biden declared. “Thanks for your concern. Just called Senator Casey, Congressman Cartwright, and Mayor Cognetti (and my Scranton cousins!) to send my regrets for missing our event today.”
“Keeping busy!”
The Pfizer-made drug Paxlovid may cause a relapse of COVID-19 symptoms even after a negative test is returned, according to health officials. A perfect example would be the president’s chief medical advisor, Doctor Anthony Fauci.
The National Institutes of Health announced last month that Fauci contracted COVID-19. The NIH’s director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases later confirmed he was taking Paxlovid. Fauci reported a return of symptoms after testing negative for several days.
“After I finished the five days of Paxlovid, I reverted to negative on an antigen test for three days in a row,” Fauci said in late June. “And then on the fourth day, just to be absolutely certain, I tested myself again.”
“I reverted back to positive.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a May advisory noting “COVID-19 rebound” occurred in a small number of Paxlovid recipients. COVID Rebound occurs between two and eight days after initial recovery and is characterized by recurrent but milder symptoms and viral detection after having tested negative, according to the CDC.
President Biden told reporters about a year ago that vaccinated individuals cannot contract COVID-19, which turned out to be an incorrect prediction.
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