30 July 2022

US president Joe Biden tests positive for Covid-19 again

30 July 2022

US president Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 again on Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to leave coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of “rebound” following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

White House physician Dr Kevin O’Connor said in a letter that Mr Biden “has experienced no re-emergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well”.

In accordance with Centres for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Mr Biden will re-enter isolation for least five days.

The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.

Mr Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid, and tested negative for the virus on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors.

His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

Mr Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose on March 30.

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