US president Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing "very mild symptoms," the White House said.
Mr Biden (79) will go on carrying out the duties of the office and has begun taking a course of the antiviral treatment Paxlovid, according to his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre.
"He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms," she said in a statement.
"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," she said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ms Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden had been speaking with his staff by phone and will continue to participate in meetings by phone and Zoom from the residence while he recovers. He will resume in-person work once he tests negative, she said.
The White House will provide a daily update on the president's health in the meantime, Ms Jean-Pierre said.
Travel schedule
Mr Biden has increasingly stepped up his travel schedule and resumed holding large indoor events where not everyone is tested.
When administered within five days of symptoms appearing, Paxlovid, produced by drugmaker Pfizer, has been proven to bring about a 90 per cent reduction in hospitalisations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease.
In an April 30th speech to more than 2,600 attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Mr Biden acknowledged the risks of attending large events, but said it was worthwhile to attend.
“I know there are questions about whether we should gather here tonight because of Covid,” he said. “Well, we’re here to show the country that we’re getting through this pandemic.”
Mr Biden is far from the first world leader — and not the first US president — to get the coronavirus, which has infected British prime minister Boris Johnson, French president Emmanuel Macron and more than a dozen other leaders and high-ranking officials globally.
The White House has faced a flurry of questions about Covid protocols surrounding the president. The spring Washington outbreak came weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased face-covering guidance in most of the US.
The then White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Mr Biden believed it to be “vitally important to him, to his presidency, to the American people,” to travel and continue to host large events.
She added of Mr Biden: “Just like many Americans, he makes risk assessments.” – Additional reporting: AP
