by President Joe Biden Symptoms of COVID-19 “continue to improve” after completing his second full day of treatment with the antiviral Paxlovid on Friday night, his doctor said Saturday in a letter.
“His main symptoms, although less bothersome, now include sore throat, runny nose, loose cough and body aches,” White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote. “His voice is still deep. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature remain completely normal. Her oxygen saturation remains excellent on room air. Her lungs remain clear.”
Biden, 79, will continue to take Paxlovid as planned, O’Connor continued, and his symptoms will continue to be “supportively treated” with oral hydration, Tylenol and an inhaler that he uses as needed, two to three times a day, for cough.
“He’s not experiencing shortness of breath at all. He’ll continue on low-dose aspirin as an alternative type of blood thinner,” O’Connor said.
The president tested positive for Covid on Thursday and had been fully vaccinated and twice boosted, the White House said.
First lady Jill Biden, who is at the couple’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, tested negative on Saturday and is showing no symptoms, her spokesman, Michael LaRosa, said.
O’Connor said Saturday that preliminary sequencing results indicate that the president’s causative agent is likely the Covid subvariant known as BA.5, which is now responsible for the majority of coronavirus infections in the US. it does not affect Biden’s treatment plan, the doctor added.
White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who was among 19 people who were identified as close contacts of Biden, told NBC News that he tested negative for Covid on Saturday.
the president had several virtual meetings scheduled for Fridayincluding his daily intelligence briefing, a meeting with his economic team to discuss gasoline prices and a meeting with senior staff to discuss his legislative agenda, the White House said.
During the virtual briefing on gas prices, Biden sounded hoarse and cleared his throat multiple times as he discussed falling gas prices and the steps he plans to take next. “Let me start by apologizing for my voice. I feel much better than I look,” he said.
Biden’s Twitter account shared a photo of the president at the meeting Friday night and wrote: “Gas prices are declining at one of the fastest rates we’ve seen in over a decade; we’re not going to let to work to further reduce costs. .”