Biden Tests Positive For Covid Again—Is Asymptomatic

Topline

President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 late Saturday morning, according to the White House, forcing him back into isolation after several days of testing negative.

Key Facts

Biden is asymptomatic in what White House Dr. Kevin O’Connor called a case of “rebound” positivity—something that occasionally occurs with people treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid—following Biden’s bout with a mild case of Covid earlier this month.

The president took a course of Paxlovid after testing positive July 21, which he credited for a swift recovery.

O’Connor said Biden will not restart any treatment measures and “continues to feel quite well.”

Crucial Quote

“The president increased his testing cadence, both to protect people around him and to assure early detection of any return of viral replication,” O’Connor said.

What To Watch For

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends those experiencing a rebound case should “isolate again for at least 5 days.”

Key Background

Biden spent five full days in isolation before emerging Wednesday, when he gave a speech touting “new tools” like Paxlovid and vaccines that he said prevented him from getting “severely ill” like former President Donald Trump reportedly became when he was infected in October 2020. Biden has not traveled from the White House but he did hold an event there Thursday, meeting with several CEOs and his top economic advisors. Biden briefly dealt with symptoms such as a slight fever, sore throat, body aches and runny nose during his initial isolation, which appeared to peak shortly after his July 21 positive test. He tested negative Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning before the latest positive test, according to the White House.

Tangent

In clinical trials, drug maker Pfizer found only about 1% to 2% of those taking Paxlovid tested positive again after treatment, but Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid response coordinator, said at a recent news conference that he believes the number outside trials is higher, possibly around 5%. Findings from real-world studies on the frequency of rebound cases have been mixed, with some turning up hardly any cases while others suggest rebound rates of up to 6%. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical advisor, is among those who suffered a “rebound” case recently after taking Paxlovid. Fauci said he seemed to recover after taking an initial round of Paxlovid, only to test positive again and experience symptoms worse than the ones he initially had. He then took another five-day Paxlovid regimen before fully getting over his infection.

Further Reading

Fauci says he believes Paxlovid kept him out of the hospital, even though he tested positive again. (New York Times)

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

Biden Tests Positive For Covid (Forbes)