US President Joe Biden is currently experiencing “mild symptoms” after contracting Covid-19 and has canceled his planned public appearances in Las Vegas to isolate in Delaware, the White House announced on Wednesday. The president’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, stated that Biden presented with upper respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose and a non-productive cough, along with general malaise. Despite feeling okay for his first event of the day, point-of-care testing was conducted following concerns about his lack of improvement, which resulted in a positive Covid-19 diagnosis.
The White House has emphasized that Biden is “vaccinated and boosted” and is experiencing mild symptoms, having already received his first dose of Paxlovid. The president’s planned speech at the civil rights nonprofit conference, organized by UnidosUS, was canceled due to the infection.
This development comes as Republicans have long alleged that the 81-year-old US leader lacks physical and mental fortitude for the presidency. Biden’s recent struggle to complete sentences during speeches at both a CNN-hosted debate with Trump last month and at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention has raised concerns about his apparent frailty, not only among members of the opposition party but also within his own Democratic base.
When asked in an interview with BET News if anything would make him reconsider staying in the race for the White House, Biden responded, “If I had some medical condition that emerged, if doctors came and said ‘you’ve got this problem, that problem,'” suggesting that his health status could potentially impact his decision to remain in office.
This is the third time the oldest sitting US president has tested positive for Covid-19. Biden first contracted the virus on July 21, 2022, and less than two weeks later tested positive again in a “rebound” case. According to the White House, Biden will now return to Delaware where he will self-isolate and continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.