President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19, returning him to isolation just days after being cleared to resume duties.
Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician, stated in a memo that the president is experiencing no new symptoms and "continues to feel quite well."
O'Connor had previously warned of the risk of testing'rebound,' which can occur in a small percentage of patients who, like Biden, used the antiviral medication Paxlovid as part of their COVID treatment.
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| On Saturday, a memo from Biden's doctor confirmed the positive test, following his doctor's warning of a rebound |
Biden, 79, tweeted on Saturday afternoon, 'Folks, today I tested positive for COVID again.' This happens to a small percentage of people.
'I have no symptoms, but I'm going to isolate for the sake of everyone else's safety.'
'I'm still working and will be back on the road soon,' he says.
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| Biden has given several speeches since being cleared for isolation. On Thursday, he was seen touting his Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 while coughing in the middle of his speech. |
Biden tested negative for COVID after five days of isolation on Tuesday, and he provided another negative test on Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, he also tested negative.
According to the White House, Biden was infected with the BA.5 variant, which has caused a new surge in cases around the world.
For the first time since July 21, Biden held a series of events in support of a $52 billion bill to subsidize computer chip manufacturing and research in order to compete with China.
As he recovered, Biden continued to work remotely, holding virtual meetings with world leaders and news conferences with reporters who sat at a distance.
On Wednesday, the president used his initial recovery to promote not only the COVID vaccines and boosters, but also Paxlovid.
The drug is thought to be the most effective treatment against the virus, and it has become a favorite of the White House in recent months, with Biden even making it free to all infected people.
Clinical trials showed that if taken within days of symptoms appearing, it could reduce the likelihood of hospitalization or death from infection by 90%, though some are concerned that the protection may not be long-lasting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning in May that recipients of Pfizer's antiviral Covid pill may experience a resurgence of symptoms after completing a course of the drug.
The FDA issued the warning after reports surfaced in recent months that those who received the drug saw their symptoms return after finishing treatment, even after feeling completely healed at times.
'Paxlovid is still recommended for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in people who are at high risk of progressing to severe disease,' the CDC wrote in the report.
'A brief recurrence of symptoms may be part of the natural history of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection in some people, regardless of Paxlovid treatment or vaccination status.'
Experts are unsure why this is happening, or what could be causing a seemingly healthy person to become ill from the same infection.
Although the president was not reported to have any new symptoms on Saturday, his age puts him at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus.
According to the CDC, people aged 65 and up account for more than 81 percent of all deaths from the virus, which has killed over a million people in the United States alone.