Doctors reveal how worried we should be about Joe Biden's positive COVID test as President, 81, appears increasingly frail

Joe Biden was seen stepping gingerly down nan steps of Air Force One past nighttime aft revealing he had Covid and being yanked disconnected nan run trail.

The image of the hobbling president past being helped into a car has raised further questions astir his wellness - arsenic unit mounts for him to guidelines down.

Now, doctors are informing that, astatine 81, Biden is among nan property groups astatine nan highest consequence of debilitating and lingering symptoms from nan virus, including encephalon fog, fatigue and musculus aches that make moving difficult, possibly explaining his stiffer-than-usual gait past night.

They told DailyMail.com they expect Biden to make a afloat recovery, acknowledgment to nan truth he's comparatively slim, he exercises, has earthy immunity from erstwhile infections, has been vaccinated aggregate times and is taking nan Covid supplier Paxlovid.

But doctors interest that his precocious age, his myriad underlying conditions and medicines – an irregular heartbeat, a history of aneurysm, and medicine humor thinners – mean it could return nan president weeks if not months to get better.

Doctors told DailyMail.com that President Biden’s condition is worrying, though nan likelihood of it becoming fatal are low. 

But nan consequence of dying of covid is compounded pinch age. CDC information shows that, arsenic of October 2022, nan decease complaint among adults 85 and up was complete 2.8 times higher than nan complaint from adults aged 75 to 84, and 7 times higher than nan complaint for adults aged 65 to 74. 

A staggering 90 percent of covid deaths successful 2023 occurred successful seniors aged 65 and up.  

But nan wide consequence of decease has plummeted arsenic nan pandemic has worn on. For instance, location were only 259 deaths successful nan week ending June 29. 

That compares to 3,000 to 15,000 nan summertime of 2021.  

Still, Dr Ernst Von Schwarz, a starring cardiologist astatine nan University of California, Los Angeles, said that Biden's doctors should counsel him to ‘take it easy,’ which could necessitate dropping retired of nan contest.

Dr Von Schwarz told DailyMail.com Covid, for aged people, was still nasty. 'It tin sound you down. And it's not only affecting nan lungs,' he said.

'It's a systemic inflammatory response, arsenic a consequence of nan microorganism infection, meaning it tin impact nan bosom tin impact nan brain, it tin impact nan humor vessels.'

This tin construe to slower thinking, trouble stepping normally, and trouble concentrating, each of which Biden was accused of struggling pinch earlier being diagnosed.   

‘I would show immoderate patient, of course, particularly those pinch a considered precocious risk, return it easy. 

'You request a batch of rest, a batch of hydration. And President Biden's lawsuit he is connected definite medications, which he has to reside aliases moreover stopped because he's evidently getting Paxlovid correct now.’

Biden has respective wellness markers that activity successful his favor, though. He’s comparatively slim pinch a assemblage wide scale (BMI) of 24.1, which falls wrong what is considered a normal weight range. He besides exercises astir 5 days a week.

Mr Biden is besides receiving nan champion aesculapian attraction successful nan world, including nan supplier Paxlovid, and has received respective booster shots complete nan years. 

It’s besides imaginable that his erstwhile Covid infection will person caused nan assemblage to create antibodies that admit and conflict nan virus if it strikes again.

Researchers successful Oregon reported that astir adults person antibodies more than 12 months aft getting covid and erstwhile infection offers strong, lasting protection against reinfection. 

All of these factors move Covid 'from chaotic into mild,’ according to Dr William Schaffner a preeminent master successful infectious diseases astatine Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr Schaffner added that immoderate lingering covid symptoms specified arsenic encephalon fog and problem concentrating ‘would beryllium beforehand of nan mind for immoderate healthcare supplier taking attraction of anyone aged 65 and older. 

Those are things that would lead to recommendations by nan healthcare supplier astir really agelong nan diligent needs to retrieve and those kinds of things.’

And erstwhile asked astir whether he is concerned astir this infection’s effect connected Biden’s cognition, whether he will acquisition encephalon fog, and mobility issues, Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘All of nan above.’

He added: ‘He has underlying cardiovascular illness and he is of precocious age. So these are 2 important consequence factors. And they successful general, particularly nan property is nan number 1 determinant of worse outcomes for immoderate disease.

‘It's nan same, for illustration if you person a dense flu, you consciousness nether nan weather, you consciousness sluggish, weak. People have, for illustration you mentioned encephalon fog. Will it impact your expertise to work? Absolutely. Can you guidelines up for galore hours aliases enactment up nan full night? Absolutely not.’

Few issues matter much to voters than Mr Biden’s precocious property and whether he has nan intelligence fortitude and beingness stamina to forestall a 2nd Trump term. Many are now urging him to see dropping retired of nan race.

He traveled to his location successful Delaware to isolate and recover, while still carrying retired his regular duties arsenic president.

But a week distant whitethorn not beryllium capable to get Mr Biden backmost successful campaigning shape, doctors said.

Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘The problem is if group don't afloat retrieve from that, and their immune strategy is somewhat weakened, that conscionable opens nan doors for consequent infections aliases complications.

‘So if I person personification astatine his property and his wide beingness condition, pinch his underlying cardiovascular issues, I will show them, you return it easy, you cannot travel, you shouldn't work, you should really remainder a lot. Make judge you get due nutrition. And conscionable return it easy for astatine slightest 10, 14 days, if not longer.’

Mr Biden has said nan only logic he would driblet retired of nan title would beryllium a general proposal from his doctor. Dr Schaffner said nan determination would beryllium made based connected a big of issues but apt wouldn’t beryllium nan consequence of his covid infection.

According to Mr Biden’s doctors, he does not person a fever and his respiratory complaint is normal, arsenic are his captious signs. 

His symptoms included a runny nose, nonproductive cough and ‘general malaise,’ nan connection said.

So far, his aesculapian squad has not offered immoderate accusation to nan nationalist that suggests he has go incapacitated and should rethink plans to enactment successful nan White House.

But according to Dr Von Schwarz, this test could beryllium ‘a blessing successful a measurement that mightiness springiness them a measurement retired if you want retired of that race.’

It’s imaginable that nan president’s doctors would want to abstain from wading into politics, peculiar this red-hot issue, and take not to make a general proposal based connected his Covid diagnosis. 

But it’s besides imaginable that they would springiness him much lenient recommendations fixed his occupation – telling him he’s perfectly safe to be a run arena aft a week of isolation, for instance.

Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘The number 1 extremity should beryllium of course, taking attraction of your patients alternatively than immoderate governmental agenda, meaning, successful different words, I deliberation his individual doctors should show him return it easy, man. 

'I mean, you're not young, you person underlying conditions. And immoderate infection tin beryllium a problem, not only successful nan short term.

‘So I deliberation nan number 1 extremity should beryllium for immoderate healthcare supplier who takes attraction for nan President to springiness him nan proposal they would springiness anyone other successful that situation, which should beryllium really return it easy and return a remainder and measurement backmost a small bit.’