Biden tests positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON－US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus as new variants challenge the nation's efforts to resume normalcy.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was experiencing "mild symptoms "and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease.

She said Biden "will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time".

She added that Biden will participate in his planned meetings at the White House via phone and Zoom from the residence.

Biden, 79, is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose on March 30.

Up to this point, Biden's ability to avoid the virus seemed to defy the odds, even with the testing procedures in place for those expected to be in close contact with him. Prior waves of the virus swept through Washington's political class, infecting Vice-President Kamala Harris, Cabinet members, White House staffers and lawmakers. Biden has increasingly stepped up his travel schedule and resumed holding large indoor events where not everyone is tested.

Top White House officials in recent months have been matter-of-fact about the likelihood of the president getting COVID-19, a measure of how ingrained the virus has become in society－and of its diminished threat for those who are up to date on their vaccinations and with access to treatments.

In an April 30 speech to more than 2,600 attendees at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Biden acknowledged the risks of attending large events, but said it was worthwhile to attend.

"Well, we're here to show the country that we're getting through this pandemic," he said.

After more than two years and over a million deaths in the United States, the virus is still killing an average of 353 people a day in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The unvaccinated are at far greater risk, more than two times more likely to test positive and nine times more likely to die from the virus than those who have received at least a primary dose of the vaccines, according to the public health agency.

The White House has faced a flurry of questions about COVID-19 protocols surrounding the president. The spring Washington outbreak came weeks after the CDC eased face-covering guidance in most of the US.

Agencies Via Xinhua