In what the White House physician described as a "rebound" instance found in a small fraction of patients who take the antiviral medicine Paxlovid, US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 once more on Saturday.
After testing positive on July 21, 79-year-old Biden was released from COVID-19 isolation on Wednesday and reported feeling better. According to the White House, he will now go back into strict isolation and postpone excursions to his home in Wilmington and a business trip to Michigan. There were no public appearances by Biden on Friday, just on Wednesday and Thursday.
Biden Returns to Isolation
The White House wanted to highlight some recent legislative successes to help raise Biden's dwindling poll numbers when he was forcibly isolated. The purpose of Biden's travel to Michigan was to celebrate the passing of legislation on Thursday that will help the US semiconductor chips sector, as per Reuters.
According to White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's positive test is thought to be a "rebound" that some COVID-19 patients who take the antiviral medication Paxlovid experience. Pfizer Inc.'s Paxlovid is an antiviral drug intended to treat high-risk individuals, such as elderly people.
O'Connor had spoken of the potential for a testing "rebound," which may happen on a tiny number of patients who, like Biden, utilized Paxlovid as part of their COVID-19 treatment. The COVID-19 response coordinator for the White House, Dr. Ashish K. Jha, disputes that the Paxlovid recovery rates are close to 50%. According to the doctor, the actual number of reinfections is "in the single digits."
People who have rebound don't wind up in hospitals, according to Dr. Jha. "They don't become very ill," the New York Times reported. Biden, who made his most recent public appearance on Thursday, was free on Friday and was planned to return to his residence in Wilmington, Delaware, where first lady Jill Biden has been living, on Sunday morning.
White House Promotes Paxlovoid
According to the White House, Biden had the BA.5 type of the virus, which has recently caused an increase in cases all across the world. Biden held a number of rallies in support of a $52 billion plan to subsidize computer chip manufacturing and research to compete with China for American market share after testing negative for the first time since July 21.
As he recovered, Biden continued to work from home, having video calls with reporters and virtual meetings with international leaders. On Wednesday, the president took advantage of his initial improvement to promote Paxlovid in addition to the COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots.
Per Daily Mail, the medicine, which is thought to be the most effective therapy for the virus, has become popular with the White House in recent months. President Biden even made it free for anybody who was afflicted. Although others worry the protection may not be long-lasting, clinical trials indicated it might lower the risk of hospitalization or death from infection by 90% if given within days of the onset of symptoms.
