Biden tests positive for COVID-19 again after recovery

Just three days after U.S. President Joe Biden was confirmed to recover from COVID-19, he has been reinfected with the virus.

Dr. Kevin O'Connor, U.S. President Joe Biden’s physician, said that the president tested positive for the virus again, adding that he showed ‘rebound’ COVID-19 positivity seen in a small number of patients treated with Paxlovid, according to CNN on Saturday (local time). However, the doctor confirmed that President Biden feels okay with no symptoms shown. With close observation continuing, he will stay in self quarantine without any extra treatment to be offered.

Accordingly, President Biden will be completely off throughout this week. He was scheduled to visit Hemlock in Michigan this Tuesday to make a speech on the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act that passed the U.S. Congress last week and stay home in Delaware this weekend. Leaving the White House at the time of the President’s earlier infection, First Lady Jill Biden will remain in Delaware.

President Biden took Paxlovid after confirmed with COVID-19 on July 21. Testing negative for two consecutive days on July 26 and 27, he officially recovered from the virus. After then, he still tested negative on July 28 and 29.

Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was also reinfected with the virus three days after testing negative following the Paxlovid treatment.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com