Joe Biden easily tolerates COVID-19

U.S. President Joe Biden “virtually” appeared Friday at a meeting of his top economic advisors. This came a day after the president tested positive for COVID-19. The White House described the manifestations of the U.S. president’s coronavirus illness as “very mild symptoms.”

Joe Biden’s voice was hoarse and he coughed occasionally as he spoke at a meeting at his White House residence. While discussing measures to lower gas prices, he said: “I feel a lot better than I sound.”

When reporters asked how Biden was feeling before the president began his speech, he gave a thumbs up.

A statement released earlier in the day by White House physician Kevin O’Connor said Biden’s temperature reached 99.4 F on Thursday but dropped on Friday.

“His voice is deeper this morning. His heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and indoor oxygen saturation are all normal,” he said.

O’Connor added that Biden’s main symptoms were a runny nose, fatigue and an occasional dry cough. He explained that the president took Tylenol and “responded positively” to the medication.

Antiviral treatment.

The president on Thursday began treatment with Paxlovid, an antiviral therapy designed to reduce the severity of the disease, COVID-19.

O’Connor said Friday that the president’s prognosis for a full recovery was good.

“During the course of his illness, there has been nothing so far that has given me reason to change that initial expectation,” he wrote.

White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday afternoon that Biden is recovering and “has very mild symptoms.” She said the double vaccination and double revaccination, as well as the Paxlovid treatment, have benefited him.

Jean-Pierre stressed that Biden “is still working eight-plus hours a day,” and he held his daily presidential security briefing Friday using a video link.

The spokeswoman explained that it is not known exactly where Biden contracted the coronavirus, but said the White House has contacted 17 people who have recently been in close contact with the president, including senior staffers and members of Congress. So far, she said, none of those people have tested positive for the virus, and they are all wearing masks as recommended by the CDC.

“Very good spirits.”

White House COVID coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Biden was feeling good when they spoke by video link Friday, reporting that the president slept well, ate breakfast and had lunch. Jha noted that Biden was “in very good spirits” and “joked that his only regret was that his appetite had not changed.”

He said all of Biden’s vital signs were within normal limits, but admitted that the president used his inhaler several times after he tested positive. Biden had asthma when he was younger and has an albuterol inhaler “that he uses as needed,” Kevin O’Connor added.

Jha said officials should find out in the coming days whether Biden has contracted the highly contagious variant of the Omicron BA.5 virus, which is spreading across the country.

About 100,000 new cases of the coronavirus are reported each day in the United States.

Jha said Biden will remain isolated in his White House residence instead of working in the Oval Office for at least five days and then be tested again. Once the president tests negative for the coronavirus, he will return to work.

Jha spoke of the coronavirus as a disease that many Americans have but shouldn’t cause too much suffering: “We have a fairly contagious variant. People are going to get infected. Our priority is that when people get infected, they don’t have serious consequences.”