Biden Tests Negative For Covid For First Time In A Week
Topline
President Joe Biden tested negative for Covid-19 Saturday morning, according to the White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, but he will remain in isolation until he gets a second consecutive negative result.
Key Facts
Biden has been in isolation at the White House since last Saturday, when he tested positive in what O’Connor called a “rebound” case following a bout with Covid earlier in July.
The president continued working while in isolation over the past week as he dealt with very mild symptoms, such as a minor dry cough, but those symptoms appear to have completely resolved, according to O’Connor.
Biden initially tested positive for Covid on July 21 and experienced symptoms like a slight fever, sore throat, runny nose and body aches before testing negative and emerging from isolation on July 27, only to test positive again three days later.
Key Background
Biden’s rebound case is among a small number that have afflicted Covid patients who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid. Pfizer, the maker of Paxlovid, stated that clinical trials found only about a 1% to 2% instance of rebound positivity after patients completed a pill regimen, but anecdotal reports suggest that number might be higher in real world settings. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical advisor, also suffered a rebound infection, and White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said at a news conference last month that he thinks the rebound rate after taking Paxlovid might be around 5%.
Further Reading
Biden Tests Positive For Covid Again—Is Asymptomatic (Forbes)
Biden Tests Positive For Covid (Forbes)
