Comment President Biden tested positive for the coronavirus again on Saturday, his doctor said, after experiencing a “recovery” from Paxlovid. The president’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, said Biden tested negative Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning. He tested positive on Saturday morning using an antigen test. Doctors have warned that people taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid can experience “rebound” infections days after an initial negative test, although data on the incidence and long-term effects remain unclear. O’Connor said in a letter that Biden has not developed symptoms again and “continues to feel quite well.” “Because this is the case, there is no reason to restart treatment at this time, but obviously we will continue close monitoring,” O’Connor wrote. Biden will return to isolation at the White House, O’Connor added. Biden was scheduled to travel to Wilmington, Del., on Sunday and Hemlock, Mich., on Tuesday, but both trips were canceled, two White House officials said. The trip to Michigan was for an event in support of a $52 billion bill to subsidize computer chip manufacturing and research and counter China’s influence, known as the CHIPS and Science Act. The legislation passed both houses of Congress this week and awaits Biden’s signature. It was unclear whether Biden would attend Tuesday’s event remotely. Biden was likely infected with the BA.5 variant, O’Connor said last week, a sub-variant of the omicron that has become dominant in the United States and is the most contagious version of the virus so far. BA.5 has shown a remarkable ability to escape the immune protection provided by vaccines and prior coronavirus infection. Biden emerged from five days of self-isolation on Wednesday and delivered a speech from the Rose Garden about how his mild coronavirus infection was a reflection of the government’s pandemic response and the tools it had made widely available, including antivirals, home tests and amplifiers. . He held a series of public events this week in support of the CHIPS bill and the economy. Biden did not hold any public events on Friday. Biden removed his mask for some of the events. White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Biden was still complying with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by keeping more than six feet away from others. CDC guidance recommends that people self-isolate for five days after testing positive for the coronavirus and wear a mask for another five days when around others. Some experts said the guidelines could force people to return to work or leave isolation when they are still potentially contagious. In addition to Biden, notable figures who have recovered from infections include 81-year-old Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, who contracted the coronavirus earlier this summer. Rebound infection can also lead to further complications, as with the original infection, but many people describe their symptoms as mild. Paxlovid, taken over a five-day course, suppresses the amount of virus in a person’s system during treatment. Some experts believe that rebound infections occur because the five-day course is too short and should be extended by several days to ensure that the virus has been eliminated. Biden addressed the case of his recovery on Twitter on Saturday, but assured people that he was still working and would resume traveling soon. “Friends, I tested positive for COVID again today. This happens to a small minority of people,” Biden tweeted. “I have no symptoms, but I will self-isolate for the safety of everyone around me. I’m still at work and will be back on the road soon.” Dan Diamond contributed to this report.
