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4:05
President Biden contracted covid-19
This Thursday, through a statement, the White House reported that President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 and it should be noted that it is the first time he has contracted the disease.
Biden, 79, has been vaccinated with the first two doses from Pfizer/BioNTech before taking office in January 2021. The first booster was received in September of the same year, while the second was placed in March. of the present year.
The head of the White House is a patient with a high risk of hospitalization and death due to his age, although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that older adults who have received all doses and boosters minimize the risk.
It should be noted that the statement issued by the White House states that the US government is committed to reporting daily on the health status of President Biden.
“This morning, President Biden has tested positive for covid-19. He is fully vaccinated and with two boosters and is experiencing very mild symptoms. He has started taking Paxlovid," the statement said.
Biden will be isolated in the White House, where he will continue to carry out his activities until the test returns a negative result, however, many of his commitments will have to be suspended or postponed.
On his agenda this week was a trip to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to give a speech on crime prevention. He would then go to Philadelphia to attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. Next week a visit to Orlando and Tampa (Florida) was scheduled.
“The conclusion is that he is vaccinated and reinforced. It is very well protected. You have very good protocols around you to protect you from infection. But nothing is 100%,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, White House Covid-19 response coordinator.
It should be noted that the president made a trip this Wednesday to Somerset (Massachusetts) to discuss the climate problem and announce new funds to serve the most affected communities. Also, less than a week ago, Biden returned from a tour of the Middle East where he met with leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In all these meetings, as usual, the president shook hands with other political leaders and top leaders of other countries, such as the controversial greeting between Biden and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Biden's family and work team affected by Covid-19
For his part, Michael La Rosa, spokesman for the first lady reported that Jill Biden was tested for covid-19 this Thursday and was negative. In the same way, he also explained that Jill will not change her scheduled schedule for this week.
It should be noted that the first lady is currently in Detroit, Michigan and will then go to Georgia, but Jill is complying with the measures dictated by the CDC of wearing a mask and taking care of social distancing.
Similarly, it is known that Vice President Kamala Harris was infected with covid-19 earlier this year, although according to her spokesperson, Kirsten Allen, she did not present symptoms. Similarly, Harris fully complied with his treatment and, like the president, took Paxlovid, which is an antiviral treatment, and tested negative on May 2.
There are also other officials who have tested positive in recent months. Among them is Antony Blinken, Secretary of State; Susan Rice, White House domestic policy adviser; Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Merrick Garland, Attorney General, and many others.
It should be noted that Paxlovid is a Pfizer antiviral drug that is only available with a prescription. It is used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people 12 years of age and older, if they are only at risk for more severe disease.
