Biden, who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted, tested positive Thursday morning and is experiencing “very mild symptoms,” the White House said.
“Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” his administration said. He will resume in-person activities after he tests negative.
Biden, 79, has started taking Paxlovid following his test result, officials said. This antiviral treatment has been found to decrease the risk of Covid hospitalisation and death by 89%. Vice President Kamala Harris was similarly prescribed Paxlovid after testing positive for Covid back in April, despite being asymptomatic.
First lady Jill Biden said while visiting a school in Detroit Thursday morning that she tested negative for COVID-19.
“He’s doing fine, he’s feeling good,” she told reporters of her husband. The first lady said she will keep her schedule and wear a mask, following federal health guidelines.
The president last tested negative for Covid on Tuesday, officials said. He travelled to Massachusetts on Wednesday and spoke with the public and local leaders about climate change. Anyone who came within close contact of him during this trip will be contacted by the White House Medical Unit as part of standard protocol following a positive case, the White House said.
There have been more than one million US coronavirus deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.