Biden improves ‘significantly’ after getting Covid, still has minor symptoms

• An update on President Joe Biden’s health.
• The president still has Covid but has improved “significantly”.
• Biden still has a sore throat, but is responding well to treatment.

President Joe Biden continues to “improve significantly” despite still having a sore throat from his recent Covid infection, according to an update from his doctor released on Sunday, July 24, reports the AP and EFE.

“The president is responding to therapy as expected,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote in his latest update. Biden has been taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug that helps reduce the chance of developing severe symptoms, the AP news agency report detailed.

Biden still has Covid but he’s improving

Kevin O’Connor stated that Biden still has a sore throat, though other symptoms, such as cough, runny nose and body aches, «have greatly abated.» The president tested positive for Covid on the morning of Thursday, July 21.

Dr. Ashish Jha, White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said Sunday that Biden is infected with the BA.5 subvariant. «Thank God, our vaccines and therapy work well against it, so I think the president is doing well,» said the doctor on CBS’s Face the Nation.

Biden was infected with the BA.5 subvariant

The AP stated that this subvariant of Omicron emerged late last year and is believed to be responsible for the vast majority of Covid-19 cases in the United States. The White House has not released any photos or videos of Biden since Friday when the media saw him participate in a virtual meeting with economic advisers.

Dr. Ashish Jha promised that the White House would continue to provide updated information on the president’s condition and report any long-term symptoms. “We think it’s really important that the American people know how their president is doing,” he said.

The White House promises to be transparent about the president’s health

“Obviously if he has persistent symptoms, obviously if any of them interfere with his ability to carry out his duties, we will disclose that early and often with the American people. But I suspect that this is going to be a course of Covid that we’ve seen in many Americans who have ben fully vaccinated, double boosted, getting treated with those tools in hand,” Ashish Jha said. «The president is doing quite well and we expect him to continue to do so.»

The EFE news agency also reported, regarding the President’s health, is that at the moment he suffers mainly from a «sore throat». In turn, he quoted Dr. Kevin O’Connor’s report by noting: “His runny nose, cough and body aches have subsided considerably. He still has a bit of a catch in his voice. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature remain normal. His oxygen saturation remains excellent.”

What medication is Biden taking?

Biden, who has received both doses of the vaccine and two booster doses, is being treated primarily with the oral antiretroviral drug Paxlovid. The president “responds to therapy as planned. The BA.5 variant is particularly transmissible and he will continue to isolate,” said the statement quoted by EFE.

According to the White House protocol, which goes beyond the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), until he tests negative, Biden will not resume his in-person tasks. Biden has taken advantage of the interest that his illness has aroused to urge the public to get vaccinated. EFE indicated that, in a country where vaccines are free, only 67.2% of Americans have the complete schedule (two doses) and only 48.2% have received a booster dose.