Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, the White House said. The president of the United States “is fully vaccinated with two booster doses and his symptoms are very mild”, said Karine Jean-Pierre, the spokeswoman for the White House, quoted by The New York Times.
She also shared that Biden was taking Paxlovid, an antiviral. He should isolate himself and continue to carry out his duties.
An announcement “which raises concerns for the health of the 79-year-old president and serves as a reminder that the virus remains a persistent threat to [le] pays”, writes the center-left newspaper.
The Wall Street Journal recalls that the President has met with various interlocutors since last week, including during his trip to the Middle East. “In recent weeks, Biden has been spending more time without a mask in relatively large groups. White House officials acknowledge that these events posed risks, but stress that it was important for him to convey a sense of semi-normality,” says the conservative newspaper.