Biden Tests Negative For Covid For First Time In A Week

Topline

President Joe Biden tested negative for Covid-19 Saturday morning, according to the White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, but he will remain in isolation until he gets a second consecutive negative result.

Key Facts

Biden has been in isolation at the White House since last Saturday, when he tested positive in what O’Connor called a “rebound” case following a bout with Covid earlier in July.

The president continued working while in isolation over the past week as he dealt with very mild symptoms, such as a minor dry cough, but those symptoms appear to have completely resolved, according to O’Connor.

Key Background

Biden’s rebound case is among a small number that have afflicted Covid patients who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid. Pfizer, the maker of Paxlovid, stated that clinical trials found only about a 1% to 2% instance of rebound positivity after patients completed a pill regimen, but anecdotal reports suggest that number might be higher in real world settings. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical advisor, also suffered a rebound infection, and White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said at a news conference last month that he thinks the rebound rate after taking Paxlovid might be around 5%.

Further Reading

Biden Tests Positive For Covid Again—Is Asymptomatic (Forbes)

Biden Tests Positive For Covid (Forbes)

Biden Credits ‘New Tools’ Like Vaccines And Treatments For His Covid Recovery—Contrasting Case With ‘Severely Ill’ Trump (Forbes)