Biden ‘continues to feel well’ but isolating after rebound positive COVID test

President Biden is on the mend and continues to isolate himself after contracting a rebound case of COVID over the weekend, the White House said.

The 79-year-old has some lingering mild symptoms from the virus including a dry cough and sniffles said Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician. “The president continues to feel well as he starts his week,” O’Connor said in a statement.

Biden was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid after first testing positive last month. He was cleared to return to his normal schedule last week after testing negative and experiencing nothing more than minor symptoms.

But like a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid, he tested positive over the weekend, and again on Monday.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 3 million courses of Paxlovid have been administered in the United States since December.

Genetic sequencing revealed that Biden was infected with the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant of the omicron variant of COVID, which is now sweeping across the country.

The strain is driving up hospitalizations from coast to coast although most positive cases are no longer being reported to authorities because people are using at-home rapid tests.

The White House says it has purchased large quantities of a new vaccine booster that is specially formulated to fight omicron and it will be available next month.