WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden examined positive for COVID-19 once more Saturday, barely greater than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House mentioned, in a uncommon case of “rebound” following remedy with an anti-viral drug.
White House doctor Dr. Kevin O’Connor mentioned in a letter that Biden “has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well.”
In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tips, Biden will reenter isolation for a minimum of 5 full days. The company says most rebound circumstances stay gentle and that extreme illness throughout that interval has not been reported.
Word of Biden’s positive take a look at got here — he had been destructive Friday morning — simply two hours after the White House introduced a presidential go to to Michigan this coming Tuesday to spotlight the passage of a invoice to promote home high-tech manufacturing. Biden had additionally been scheduled to go to his house in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, the place first girl Jill Biden has been staying whereas the president was positive. Both journeys have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.
Biden, 79, was handled with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid, and examined destructive for the virus on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to go away isolation whereas carrying a masks indoors. His positive tests places him among the many minority of these prescribed the drug to expertise a rebound case of the virus.
Both the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer level out that 1% to 2% of individuals in Pfizer’s unique research on Paxlovid noticed their virus ranges rebound after 10 days. The fee was about the identical amongst folks taking the drug or dummy capsules, “so it is unclear at this point that this is related to drug treatment,” in accordance to the FDA.
While Biden was testing destructive, he returned to holding in-person indoor occasions and conferences with workers on the White House and was carrying a masks, in accordance with CDC tips. But the president eliminated his masks indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and through a gathering with CEOs on the White House advanced.
Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned, “They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.”
Regulators are nonetheless learning the prevalence and virulence of rebound circumstances, however the CDC in May warned medical doctors that it has been reported to happen inside two days to eight days after initially testing destructive for the virus.
“Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease,” the company mentioned on the time.
When Biden was initially launched from isolation on Wednesday, O’Connor mentioned the president would “increase his testing cadence” to catch any potential rebound of the virus.
Patients ought to re-isolate for a minimum of 5 days. Per CDC steering, they will finish their re-isolation interval after 5 full days if fever has resolved for 24 hours (with out using fever-reducing treatment) and signs are enhancing. The affected person ought to put on a masks for a complete of 10 days after rebound signs began.”
Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce severe disease and death among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. U.S. health officials have encouraged those who test positive to consult their doctors or pharmacists to see if they should be prescribed the treatment, despite the rebound risk.
Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30.
While patients who have recovered from earlier variants of COVID-19 have tended to have high levels of immunity to future reinfection for 90 days, Jha said that the BA.5 subvariant that infected Biden has proven to be more “immune-evasive.”
“We have seen plenty of folks get reinfected inside 90 days,” he mentioned, including that officers do not but have information on how lengthy those that have recovered from the BA.5 pressure have safety from reinfection.
