After completing his fourth full day of COVID-19 treatment, President Joe Biden’s symptoms have “almost completely resolved” save for some hoarseness and congestion, according to his physician.
In a letter updating the public on the president’s condition, Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote that Biden only said he is experiencing “some residual nasal congestion and minimal hoarseness” after finishing his fourth day of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment. He is tolerating the treatment well, Dr. O’Connor noted, reporting no shortness of breath, “excellent” oxygen saturation, normal pulse, blood pressure and temperature, and clear lungs.
Dr. O’Connor said Saturday that Biden was “most likely” infected by the BA.5 variant, currently the most common strain in the United States, which Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, confirmed in an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“Thank goodness our vaccines and therapeutics work well against it, which is why I think the president’s doing well,” Dr. Jha said Sunday.
Dr. O’Connor said Monday that the BA.5 variant is “particularly transmissible” and said that the president will continue to isolate in accordance with CDC recommendations.
“He continues to be very specifically conscientious to protect any of the Executive Residence, White House, Secret Service and other staff whose duties require any (albeit socially distanced) proximity to him,” Dr. O’Connor wrote.
Biden has two appearances scheduled for Monday: Delivering virtual remarks to the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference in Orlando, Fla., and then a virtual meeting with business and labor leaders to discuss the importance of passing the Chips Act, a bill aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.
On Friday, the president spoke at a meeting with his economic and energy team on gas prices, appearing remotely by video in his first public appearance since testing positive.
“Let me start by apologizing for my voice,” the president said, clearing his throat. “I feel much better than I sound.”
The White House has not released any photos or videos of the president since then, though Dr. Jha pledged on “Face the Nation” that the administration will keep citizens informed of his condition: “We think it’s really important for the American people to know how well their president is doing.”
“Obviously if he has persistent symptoms, obviously if any of them interfere with his ability to carry out his duties, we will disclose that early and often with the American people,” Dr. Jha said. “But I suspect that this is going to be a course of COVID that we’ve seen in many Americans who have ben fully vaccinated, double boosted, getting treated with those tools in hand.
“The president’s been doing well and we’re going to expect that he’s going to continue to do so,” he said.
Biden’s press secretary has said 17 people, including members of the president’s senior staff and at least one member of Congress, were determined to have been in close contact with Biden when he might have been contagious. None has tested positive so far, Jha said on “Fox News Sunday.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
