US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The White House reported that he is experiencing “mild symptoms,” including a runny nose, non-productive cough, and a general feeling of malaise. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that Biden will fly to his home in Delaware, where he will “self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.”
The news was initially shared by UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía, who informed guests at the group’s convention in Las Vegas that the president had sent his regrets and would not be able to appear due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, detailed in a note that Biden, at 81 years old, “presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise.” Following the positive COVID-19 test, Biden was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and has taken his first dose, according to O’Connor.
Biden was scheduled to address the UnidosUS event in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon as part of a strategy to mobilize Hispanic voters before the November election. However, he instead departed for the airport to fly to Delaware, where he had already planned to spend a long weekend at his home in Rehoboth Beach.
The president’s diagnosis arrives amidst intense scrutiny of his health and stamina following a contentious debate with former President Donald Trump. The debate sparked considerable concern among Democrats that Biden might not be capable of handling the rigors of another presidential term.
Biden boarded Air Force One cautiously and informed reporters traveling with him, “I feel good.” He was not wearing a mask as he walked onto the aircraft.
Prior to his diagnosis, the president was present at the Original Lindo Michoacan restaurant in Las Vegas, where he greeted diners and participated in an interview with Univision. Biden has received his vaccinations and is up to date on his recommended annual booster dose for COVID-19. The vaccines have proven highly effective in mitigating serious illness and death from the virus, which has claimed the lives of over 1 million individuals in the US since the pandemic began in 2020.
Paxlovid has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 when prescribed during the initial stages of infection. However, it has also been associated with rebound infections, where the virus reappears a few days after initial clearance.
Biden previously tested positive for COVID-19 twice in the summer of 2022, experiencing a primary case and a subsequent rebound case. Health authorities have reported recent increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to COVID-19. There has also been a notable rise in positive test results throughout much of the country, particularly in the southwestern US.
