U.S. President Joe Biden has officially tested positive for COVID-19.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released the shocking news in a press release Thursday, revealing the president tested positive earlier in the day.
“This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19,” Jean-Pierre wrote. “He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms.”
The president has reportedly begun taking Paxlovid, an oral antiviral medication made available via emergency use authorization by the FDA to treat covid-19. Biden’s 79 years old which puts him in an age cohort the CDC notes is at increased risk for serious illness from the virus.
“Consistent with White House protocol for positive COVID cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he [Biden] will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative,” Jean-Pierre said. “Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work. Out of an abundance of transparency, the White House will provide a daily update on the President’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
The White House did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment. Several high-ranking officials in Biden’s orbit have tested positive in recent years including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and former press secretary Jen Psak, NPR notes.
Biden’s reportedly isolating in the White House and is expected to continue participating in his planned meetings via phone and Zoom, Jean-Pierre noted. This is the first time Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. He’s not, however, the first U.S. president to test positive. Former president Donald Trump officially contracted COVID-19 in October 2020, however, subsequent reports claim he may have been infected days earlier and potentially exposed others to the virus during a super spreader event.
This story is developing.