WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for the second straight day, the White House said on Sunday.
It marked the third time overall that Biden, 79, tested positive for COVID-19. He originally tested positive on July 21 and was positive again on Saturday.
Biden continues to recover from a “rebound” case that is tied to the use of Paxlovid, an antiviral medication, USA Today reported.
According to a new letter from White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the President “continues to feel well.” He added that a second straight positive test was not a surprise.
“Given his rebound positivity, which we reported yesterday, we continued daily monitoring,” O’Connor said, “This morning, unsurprisingly, his SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing remained positive.”
According to The Associated Press, research suggests that a minority of those prescribed Paxlovid experience a rebound case of the virus. A rebound, as opposed to a reinfection, is a positive sign for Biden.
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“The fact that the president has cleared his illness and doesn’t have symptoms is a good sign and makes it less likely he will develop long COVID,” Dr. Albert Ho, an infectious disease specialist at Yale University’s school of public health, told the AP.
Biden will continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and will remain in isolation, O’Connor wrote.
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A White House official said Biden had six close contacts, and none have tested positive, CBS News reported. Sunday is considered day one of positivity, according to the news outlet.