Joe Biden gets COVID for 3rd time, has ‘mild symptoms’

President Joe Biden tested affirmative for COVID-19 while walking Wednesday successful Las Vegas and is experiencing “mild symptoms” including “general malaise” from nan infection, nan White House said.

Press caput Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will alert to his location successful Delaware, wherever he will “self-isolate and will proceed to transportation retired each of his duties afloat during that time.” The news had first been shared by UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía, who told guests astatine nan group’s normal successful Las Vegas that president had sent his regrets and could not look because he tested affirmative for nan virus.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, nan president’s physician, said successful a statement that Biden, 81, “presented this day pinch precocious respiratory symptoms, to see rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, pinch wide malaise.” After nan affirmative COVID-19 test, Biden was prescribed nan antiviral supplier Paxlovid and has taken his first dose, O’Connor said.

Biden was slated to speak astatine nan UnidosUS arena successful Las Vegas Wednesday day arsenic portion of an effort to rally Hispanic voters up of nan November election. Instead, he departed for nan airdrome to alert to Delaware, wherever he had already been readying to walk a agelong play astatine his location successful Rehoboth Beach.

The president’s test comes amid aggravated scrutiny of his wellness and stamina aft a disastrous statement pinch erstwhile President Donald Trump that sparked a flurry of interest among Democrats that Biden is not up to nan rigors of winning different statesmanlike term.

Biden gingerly boarded Air Force One and told reporters walking pinch him, “I consciousness good.” The president was not wearing a disguise arsenic he walked onto Air Force One.

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The president had antecedently been astatine nan Original Lindo Michoacan edifice successful Las Vegas, wherever he was greeting diners and sat for an question and reply pinch Univision.

Biden has been vaccinated and is existent connected his recommended yearly booster dose for COVID-19. The vaccines person proven highly effective astatine limiting superior unwellness and decease from nan virus, which killed much than 1 cardinal group successful nan U.S. since nan pandemic began successful 2020. Paxlovid has been proven to curtail nan chances of superior unwellness and decease from COVID-19 erstwhile prescribed successful nan early days of an infection, but has besides been associated pinch rebound infections, wherever nan microorganism comes backmost a fewer days aft clearing up.

Biden past tested affirmative for COVID-19 doubly successful nan summertime of 2022, erstwhile he had a superior lawsuit and a rebound lawsuit of nan virus.

Health officials person reported caller upticks successful emergency room visits and hospitalizations from COVID-19. There has besides been a pronounced summation successful affirmative trial results successful overmuch of nan state — peculiarly nan southwestern U.S.

Associated Press writers Josh Boak, Stephanie Nano and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.