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President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 in a “rebound” case on Saturday, according to the White House.
“As described last week, acknowledging the potential for so-called ‘rebound’ COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with PAXLOVID the President increased his testing cadence, both to protect people around him and to assure early detection of any return of viral replication,” White House Doctor Dr. Kevin O’Connor said.
O’Connor said in the letter that Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning, and Friday morning, but tested positive on Saturday morning by an antigen test.
The doctor says that the re-infection represents “rebound positivity” and said that Biden has not experienced a reemergence of symptoms, and there’s no need to restart treatment.
BIDEN TESTS NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19, WILL END ISOLATION, WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN SAYS
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event to celebrate passage of the “Safer Communities Act,” on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 11, 2022.
(Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
Biden will, however, begin “strict isolation procedures,” according to O’Connor.
Biden tweeted on Saturday afternoon that he will continue working.
BIDEN ABLE TO RESUME PHYSICAL EXERCISE AS COVID-19 SYMPTOMS ‘ALMOST COMPLETELY RESOLVED’
President Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 27, 2022.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
“Folks, today I tested positive for COVID again. This happens with a small minority of folks. I’ve got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me. I’m still at work, and will be back on the road soon,” Biden said.
Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday after contracting the virus last week, prior to the announcement on Saturday afternoon.
He was previously seen at several White House events without a mask since testing negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday, including at a roundtable discussing the economy on Thursday.
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News medical analyst and professor of medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center said it’s not a good look for President Biden.
“Not a good look for a president who talks about mandates. He has played too loose with this,” Siegel said.
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US President Joe Biden speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., US.
Siegel said that Biden should have stayed in isolation longer, stating that he still had mild symptoms.
“Paxlovid rebound for Biden is not a surprise. I was surprised when he ended quarantine after 5 days even with two negative tests because he still clearly had mild symptoms including nasal congestion,” Siegel said. “What I think happens is that the Paxlovid stops the virus from reproducing but when it wears off there may still be some particles left and they then start to reproduce again and the test turns positive.”
“I think the FDA should consider extending the course to 7-8 days in higher risk cases like the president,” Siegel said.
