Jill Biden, 72, has tested positive for Covid and is experiencing “mild symptoms”, the White House said in a statement issued 4 September.
President Joe Biden was tested for Covid after his wife tested positive, according to a separate statement issued by the White House. His test was negative, but “he will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms”, the statement said.
Mr and Ms Biden both had Covid during the summer of 2022, as The Independent previously reported.
Ms Biden’s positive test comes as experts warn not to underestimate the current summer wave of Covid cases.
Health authorities are monitoring two new worrisome variants—BA.2.86, colloquially known as “Pirola”, and EG.5.1, colloquially known as “Eris”.
Case counts in the US have risen at alarming rates: From August 20 to 26, Covid deaths jumped 17.6 per cent compared to the previous week, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has not released hospitalisation data for that week, but the agency said hospitalisations were up 18.8 per cent the week of August 13 to 19. Though hospitalisations are lower than they were during the same time in 2020, 2021, and 2022, experts are voicing concern.
Last week, Dr Deborah Birx, who served as White House coronavirus response coordinator under then-president Donald Trump, said in an interview with ABC News that by ignoring Covid, Americans are living in a “fantasy world”.
“We’re pretending that Covid is not relevant,” Dr Birx said. “But I can tell you…you know two or three people who have Covid. That means that five to 10 per cent of your friends already have Covid.”
Health authorities have stressed the importance of receiving treatment for Covid as soon as you test positive, if you’re able. Not everyone qualifies for antivirals that can prevent severe disease from the virus, but Ms Biden does due to her age.
There are currently three antiviral medications—Paxlovid, Vekulry, and Lagevrio—available to adults who are over a certain age or high-risk of developing severe disease from Covid-19. (Only Paxlovid and Veklury are available to children.)
All available treatments should be taken “as soon as possible”, per the CDC. Paxlovid and Lagevrio can be taken orally at home, but Veklury is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion at a healthcare facility over the course of three days.
Antivirals have been shown to be effective at reducing the risk of severe disease for older adults with Covid-19. A 2022 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Paxlovid, specifically, significantly brings down the risk of hospitalisation in adults over 65 who get Covid.
However, experts say the lifesaving drug is prescribed far less than it should be. The New York Times has reported that, in some states, the drug is recommended in less than 20 to 25 per cent of recorded cases.
The White House statement announcing Ms Biden’s positive test did not elaborate on what her treatment plan entails. Last year, Mr and Ms Biden both took Paxlovid, per CNN.
