By Jarrett Renshaw and Pete Schroeder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden again tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, according to a statement from the White House physician, although he is experiencing no symptoms and feels “quite well.”
Biden, who tested positive for the disease nine days ago but then tested negative twice earlier this week, will resume isolation procedures, and his positive test is believed to be “rebound” positivity experienced by some COVID patients, according to White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor.
Biden tweeted about his positive case, saying it can happen to a “small minority of folks.”
“I’ve got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me. I’m still at work, and will be back on the road soon,” he tweeted.
The positive test jeopardizes a Tuesday trip to Michigan Biden had planned to tout the recent passage of legislation to boost the semiconductor industry, which the White House announced earlier Saturday.
O’Connor said Biden, who is 79, tested negative for the last four days, and there is no plan to reinitiate treatment given his lack of symptoms.
Biden previously described his experience with COVID as mild, saying he was able to continue working while in isolation and attributed his relative ease with the disease to vaccines and other treatments.
O’Connor had previously said Biden would be tested regularly to watch for a potential “rebound” COVID-19 case, which can be experienced by some patients who have been treated with Paxlovid, the drug the president received.
(Reporting by Pete Schroeder and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Alistair Bell)
