Medical personnel believe that he was most likely infected by the BA.5 variant that has been sweeping the nation over recent weeks. Biden’s vital signs are normal, and his symptoms include a sore throat, rhinorrhea, a loose cough, and body aches, Biden’s physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said.
“The President is responding to therapy as expected. The BA5 variant is particularly transmissible, and he will continue to isolate in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations,” O’Connor said in an update released Saturday. “We will continue to monitor him closely during this very common outpatient treatment regimen.”
Biden received his second full day of Paxlovid treatment Friday. Doctors have given him Tylenol, low doses of aspirin as an alternative to blood thinners, and an albuterol inhaler to treat his cough. The fact that he may have contracted the BA.5 variant has not affected the treatment plan for him, O’Connor said.
The president is not experiencing shortness of breath, and his vital signs appear normal.
“His voice remains deep. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature remain entirely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear,” the doctor said.
Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday after having traveled to Massachusetts the previous day to deliver a speech on climate change. The White House quickly released a photo showing Biden working and claiming to be busy in an apparent bid to assuage concerns about the health of the 79-year-old president. Biden is believed to have avoided the virus for the duration of the pandemic until his positive diagnosis Thursday.
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