US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 during a trip to Las Vegas and was experiencing “mild symptoms,” including “general malaise,” AP News reported.
Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre announced that Biden would fly to his home in Delaware, where he “self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.” UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía first shared the news. She told guests at the group’s Las Vegas convention that the president had expressed regret and could not appear because he had tested positive for the virus.
Dr Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, said in a note that the 81-year-old Biden “presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise.” According to his doctor, after testing positive for COVID-19, Biden was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and took his first dose.
Biden was due to speak at a UnidosUS event in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon as part of an effort to rally Latino voters ahead of the November election. Instead, he headed to the airport to fly to Delaware, where he was already planning to spend the long weekend at his home in Rehoboth Beach.
Questionable candidate
The president’s diagnosis comes amid scrutiny of his health and stamina following a disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump. The debate sparked concern among Democrats that Biden would not be up to the challenges necessary to win another presidential term.
Earlier in the day, the president visited the Original Lindo Michoacan restaurant in Las Vegas, where he greeted visitors and gave an interview to Univision. Biden has been vaccinated and is currently receiving the recommended annual revaccination for COVID-19.
Biden last tested positive for COVID-19 twice in the summer of 2022, when he had a primary case of infection and a case of re-infection with the virus. Health officials reported a recent increase in emergency department visits and hospitalisations due to COVID-19. Most of the country, particularly in the southwestern United States, has also seen a marked increase in positive test results.
