United States Vice President Kamala Harris has now tested negative for the coronavirus infection on Monday after taking an antiviral pill and is set to return to the White House a week after she was infected.
The announcement was made by the vice president's spokesperson in a statement and noted that Harris would go back to work on Tuesday. Spokesperson Kirsten Allen added that the vice president would wear a "well-fitting mask" while around others as an added measure of safety and that she would do so for ten days.
Kamala Harris Tests Negative for COVID-19
The statement read that a rapid antigen test found Harris negative for the fast-spreading disease. It noted that the vice president was planning to wear a well-fitting mask in accordance with guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The health agency notes that an individual does not require a negative COVID-19 test in order to leave isolation. Experts said that people who test positive for the disease and show symptoms should be isolated for at least five days. They added that they could end isolation after five full days if they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, as per CNN.
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While isolating at her residence, Harris remained asymptomatic after testing positive for the coronavirus. The White House had provided frequent updates regarding the vice president's health and said that she had been in touch with staff and was working from home during her isolation period.
The vice president remained in her home to avoid coming into close contact with other people and prevent herself from spreading the disease. The CDC defines a close contact as a person who has been within six feet of another individual who was found positive for the coronavirus infection for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
Going Back to the White House
Harris was in a virtual meeting with leaders from 15 Caribbean nations during her isolation, which was the first time she was publicly seen on camera since her diagnosis. The White House said that as part of the vice president's treatment, she was prescribed and given the antiviral coronavirus treatment Paxlovid which is available via emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to the New York Post, a few days after Harris was found positive for the coronavirus, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield also said she was infected. The official said that she was experiencing mild symptoms of the illness.
The 57-year-old Democrat was fully vaccinated against the coronavirus infection and had already received two vaccine booster shots prior to her positive test. She took Paxlovid because such treatments have been shown to reduce hospitalization and death from COVID-19 by as much as 90%.
However, these antiviral treatments are so far difficult to find and obtain under the emergency use authorization of the FDA. However, the White House said that it was discussing ways to make the treatments more readily available for people who need the added protection it provides, Axios reported.
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