WASHINGTON, July 31 – U.S. President Joe Biden is feeling well and continuing his isolation measures after testing positive for COVID-19 again, his doctor said in a report released by the White House on Sunday.
Biden tested positive for COVID again Saturday in what the White House physician described as a “rebound” case seen in a small percentage of patients who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid.
“Due to his positive rebound, which we reported yesterday, we have continued to monitor him daily. This morning, unsurprisingly, his SARS-CoV-2 antigen test remained positive,” the doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, in the report.
Biden first tested positive for COVID on July 21 and previously described his experience with the coronavirus as mild, saying he was able to continue working while in isolation and attributed his relative peace with the illness to vaccines and other treatments.
Biden, 79, initially came out of COVID isolation on Wednesday when he tested negative.
After testing positive again, the president had to cancel some trips and events to celebrate recent legislative victories and help boost his sagging poll ratings.
Studies have shown that a small but significant percentage of people who take Paxlovid experience a relapse or relapse that occurs a few days after finishing the five-day course.
“Biden will continue to direct the affairs of the American people from the executive residence,” his doctor said Sunday.
The White House sought to highlight Biden’s ability to overcome his illness when he first tested positive, releasing videos of him reassuring Americans that he was fine and of him participating in virtual meetings with White House staff.