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.
According to O’Connor’s letter, Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning, and Friday morning, but positive on an antigen test on Saturday morning.
The doctor claims that the re-infection represents “rebound positivity,” and that Biden’s symptoms have not returned, so there is no need to restart treatment.
Biden will, however, begin “strict isolation procedures,” according to O’Connor.
Biden tweeted on Saturday afternoon that he will continue working.
“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.
Prior to the announcement on Saturday afternoon, Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday after contracting the virus last week.
According to a White House official, contact tracing is now underway after Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time.
Previously, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that it made no difference where Biden got the coronavirus.
“Look, I don’t think that matters, right? I think what matter is we prepared for this moment,” Jean-Pierre said on July 21.
He had previously been seen without a mask at several White House events since testing negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday, including a roundtable discussion about the economy on Thursday.
It’s not a good look for President Biden, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News medical analyst, and professor of medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center.
“Not a good look for a president who talks about mandates. He has played too loose with this,” Siegel said.
