# Biden says he is ‘doing well,’ working after testing positive for COVID Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-07-22 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: President Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19: Mild Symptoms Meta Description: Breaking news: President Biden, at 79 the oldest to hold office, has COVID-19. Mild symptoms, isolation, working from home. Updates on treatment and recovery. URL: https://financedigest.com/biden-says-he-is-doing-well-working-after-testing-positive-for-covidhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-07-21t143150z1lynxmpei6k0nqrtroptp4usa-climate-biden-1-1736815549021-compressed.jpg) By Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Joe Biden, the oldest person ever to serve as president of the United States, has tested positive for COVID-19, is experiencing mild symptoms and will continue working but in isolation, the White House said on Thursday. Biden, 79, has a runny nose, fatigue and an occasional dry cough, symptoms which he began to experience late on Wednesday, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a note released on Thursday. [Biden has begun taking the antiviral treatment Paxlovid](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-tests-positive-for-covid-has-mild-symptoms-taking-paxlovid-treatment.html "Biden tests positive for COVID, has mild symptoms, taking Paxlovid treatment"), O’Connor said. Fully vaccinated and twice boosted, Biden said he was “doing well” in a video posted on his [Twitter account](https://www.financedigest.com/twitter-to-introduce-official-label-for-some-verified-accounts.html "Twitter to introduce ‘Official’ label for some verified accounts"). In the 21-second clip, he also said he was “getting a lot of work done” and would continue with his duties. A photograph on his Twitter account showed him smiling, wearing a blazer and sitting at a desk with papers. White House COVID coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, said Biden’s oxygen levels were normal and the president would isolate for five days and return to public events once he had a negative [COVID test](https://www.financedigest.com/china-arrivals-in-uk-next-week-will-not-face-compulsory-covid-tests-independent.html "China arrivals in UK next week will not face compulsory COVID tests -Independent"). Biden became ill at a time when his administration is grappling with [soaring inflation](https://www.financedigest.com/stocks-tumble-dollar-rallies-as-soaring-u-s-inflation-implies-an-aggressive-fed.html "Stocks tumble, dollar rallies as soaring U.S. inflation implies an aggressive Fed"), global supply challenges, mass shootings and Russia’s land assault on Ukraine. His illness forced cancellation of a trip to Pennsylvania where Biden intended to lay out [plans to ask Congress for $37 billion](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-seeks-clarification-on-italy-post-covid-plan-freezes-19-billion-euros.html "EU seeks clarification on Italy post-COVID plan, freezes 19 billion euros") for crime prevention programs. The White House provided an unusually detailed account of the president’s morning activities, including a series of phone calls to political allies, and said people who had come into close contact with Biden were being told of his illness. [Vice President](https://www.financedigest.com/soldo-welcomes-darren-upson-as-vice-president-of-small-business-europe.html "Soldo Welcomes Darren Upson As Vice President Of Small Business Europe") Kamala Harris was in close contact with Biden on Tuesday, a White House official said. Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, told MSNBC he was as well, but he said that so far no one linked to the president’s [case had tested positive](https://www.financedigest.com/italy-probes-meta-over-abuse-of-position-in-music-rights-case.html "Italy probes Meta over abuse of position in music rights case"). PAXLOVID The Pfizer Inc antiviral drug Paxlovid that Biden is taking has been shown to reduce the [risk of severe disease by nearly 90% in high risk patients](https://www.financedigest.com/british-doctors-strikes-risk-patient-safety-minister-says.html "British doctors’ strikes risk patient safety, minister says") if given within the first five days of infection. But Paxlovid has in some cases been associated with rebound infections, in which patients improve quickly and test negative after a five-day course of the drug, with symptoms returning days later. Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of [infectious diseases](https://www.financedigest.com/title-europe-direct-to-consumer-laboratory-testing-market-to-exhibit-26-cagr-by-2031-increasing-geriatric-population-and-growing-prevalence-of-infectious-diseases.html "Europe Direct-to-Consumer Laboratory Testing Market to Exhibit 26% CAGR by 2031; Increasing Geriatric Population and Growing Prevalence of Infectious Diseases") at Northwell Health in New York, who is not treating the president, said Paxlovid is likely the only treatment Biden will get, unless his symptoms worsen. [“Elderly people are more at risk for developing complications from COVID,”](https://www.financedigest.com/chinese-fret-over-elderly-as-who-warns-of-holiday-covid-surge.html "Chinese fret over elderly as WHO warns of holiday COVID surge") Farber said. It dramatically is lower if you’ve been [vaccinated and doubly boosted](https://www.financedigest.com/immunization-campaigns-to-boost-the-demand-for-vaccines.html "Immunization Campaigns To Boost The Demand For Vaccines"), which he has been, so I anticipate he will do very well. At Biden’s last physical in November 2021, doctors reported that the president has atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat for which he takes Eliquis, a drug designed to [prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of heart attacks](https://www.financedigest.com/preventing-an-operationally-crippling-ransomware-attack-do-you-know-where-your-risk-exposure-lies.html "PREVENTING AN OPERATIONALLY CRIPPLING RANSOMWARE ATTACK – DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR RISK EXPOSURE LIES?") and stroke. Jha said Biden will stop taking Eliquis and the statin Crestor while on his Paxlovid treatment to avoid a negative interaction between the drugs. Yale University cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz, said doctors had to [balance risks](https://www.financedigest.com/risk-of-uk-balance-of-payments-crisis-under-truss-is-rising-deutsche-bank-warns.html "Risk of UK balance of payments crisis under Truss is rising, Deutsche Bank warns") in medicine. Sometimes the choice to [mitigate one thing may elevate risk](https://www.financedigest.com/how-wfo-can-help-mitigate-the-risk-of-illegal-staff-conduct.html "How WFO Can Help Mitigate the Risk of Illegal Staff Conduct") for something else. I am hopeful that the president will get through COVID, be helped by Paxlovid, and soon get [back on the medication that reduces his risk](https://www.financedigest.com/institutional-investors-back-shell-board-lawsuit-over-climate-risk.html "Institutional investors back Shell board lawsuit over climate risk") from atrial fibrillation,” he said. OFFICIAL WASHINGTON NOT IMMUNE Multiple members of Biden’s administration and other senior figures in Washington have [tested positive for the coronavirus in recent months, including Harris and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both of whom have since tested negative and resumed working](https://www.financedigest.com/spain-offers-to-pay-companies-testing-a-4-day-work-week.html "Spain offers to pay companies testing a 4-day work week"). While many Americans have moved on from the strict precautions of the pandemic’s early months, [returning to offices and schools and resuming summer](https://www.financedigest.com/mallorca-emerges-as-this-years-summer-hotspot-as-british-buyers-return-to-spain-in-their-masses.html "MALLORCA EMERGES AS THIS YEAR’S SUMMER HOTSPOT AS BRITISH BUYERS RETURN TO SPAIN IN THEIR MASSES") travel, the virus has been spreading rapidly. U.S. cases are up more than 25% in the [last month](https://www.financedigest.com/fintech-trends-to-look-out-for-during-the-last-six-months-of-2019.html "Fintech trends to look out for during the last six months of 2019"), according to CDC data, with the BA.5 subvariant taking hold. Evading the immune protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection, BA.5 has been the dominant subvariant in the United States since at least early [July and has driven a surge of new infections globally](https://www.financedigest.com/toyotas-july-global-vehicle-output-drops-again-puts-annual-target-in-doubt.html "Toyota’s July global vehicle output drops again, puts annual target in doubt"). More than 1 [million people have died from COVID in the United States](https://www.financedigest.com/wizz-air-loses-fight-against-67-million-in-state-aid-for-romanian-rival.html "Wizz Air loses fight against million in state aid for Romanian rival"). Most of those deaths, some 600,000, happened after Biden took [office in January 2021 at the peak of a major](https://www.financedigest.com/mcdermotts-milan-office-sees-major-boost-with-arrival-of-new-corporate-transactional-team.html "McDermott’s Milan Office Sees Major Boost with Arrival of New Corporate & Transactional Team") wave of the disease. ‘GET VACCINATED NOW’ Biden set up strict COVID-19 safety protocols at the White House, urged Americans to take the virus seriously and campaigned for everyone to get fully vaccinated. He is tested regularly for the disease and anyone who [meets](https://www.financedigest.com/institutions-need-to-consider-spreadsheet-management-to-meet-the-pras-latest-stress-testingexpectations.html "Institutions Need to Consider Spreadsheet Management to Meet the PRA’s Latest Stress Testing Expectations") with him or travels with him is tested beforehand, the White House has said. Biden had last tested negative on Tuesday. He has stopped wearing a mask at public events in recent months, and the White House dropped its mask requirement ahead of his March 1 [State of the Union](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraines-first-lady-to-be-guest-of-honor-at-eu-state-of-union.html "Ukraine’s first lady to be guest of honor at EU State of Union") address. Asked by Reuters on Wednesday what the country should do with [COVID cases on the rise](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-rise-as-china-eases-covid-curbs-u-s-storm-fuels-supply-worries.html "Oil prices rise as China eases COVID curbs, U.S. storm fuels supply worries"), Biden encouraged vaccination for those who had yet to get the vaccine. “It’s not in their interest or the public’s interest not to get vaccinated,” Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “We have the capacity to control it. They should get vaccinated now.” [Chinese President Xi Jinping wished Biden](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-and-chinese-jets-patrol-east-asia-skies-capping-biden-trip.html "Russian and Chinese jets patrol East Asia skies, capping Biden trip") a speedy recovery, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. Biden joins a roster of world leaders who have [contracted COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/asias-factory-activity-contracts-despite-chinas-covid-reopening.html "Asia’s factory activity contracts despite China’s COVID reopening") since the pandemic started in early 2020. A month before he lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden, [Donald Trump](https://www.financedigest.com/over-a-third-of-uk-people-think-thomas-whitmore-from-independence-day-will-be-joined-by-donald-trump-in-disneys-hall-of-presidents.html "Over a third of UK people think Thomas Whitmore from Independence Day will be joined by Donald Trump in Disney’s Hall of Presidents") contracted the virus. He, his wife Melania and other White House staff [contracted it after an event](https://www.financedigest.com/incentive-fm-group-wins-contract-with-global-events-company.html "Incentive Fm Group Wins Contract With Global Events Company") for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in September 2020. Trump, then 74, was hospitalized on Oct. 2, 2020, and underwent aggressive treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in a suburb of Washington. His low [oxygen levels alarmed his medical](https://www.financedigest.com/the-medical-oxygen-systems-market-to-cling-to-the-digitization.html "The Medical Oxygen Systems Market to cling to the digitization") team. Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, wrote on Twitter: “Biden isn’t [remotely in the same risk](https://www.financedigest.com/combating-the-security-risk-of-remote-working.html "Combating the security risk of remote working ") category as Trump was. He’s had 4 doses of vaccine, Paxlovid, and possibly a variant which tends to cause less severe disease. He also doesn’t have obesity.” (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Chris Gallagher, Nandita Bose, Susan Heavey, Michael Erman, Julie Steenhuysen and Eric Beech; Writing by Scott Malone and Ross Colvin; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Howard Goller) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---