PRESIDENT Joe Biden, 81, has tested positive for Covid-19 just days after he said he’d only consider dropping out of the presidential race if he was diagnosed with a medical condition that prevented his run.
Biden was more than an hour and a half late for a scheduled appearance at the annual UnidosUS conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday before the organization announced his diagnosis.
President Biden missed a speaking engagement this afternoon due to a Covid diagnosisSplash News
President Biden has been diagnosed with Covid-19AP
Biden was attending campaign events in Nevada when he tested positive for Covid-19REUTERS
Janet Murguía, the CEO of UnidosUs took the podium in his absence and announced that he wouldn’t be speaking as he was just diagnosed with the virus.
UnidosUs is a Latino civil rights organization in the battleground state of Nevada.
“I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for Covid,” Murguía told attendees.
“We appreciate very much his wanting to be here – I had a great introduction reminding us of all the actions he’s taken for our community,” she told the audience.
The White House later released a statement confirming the president’s diagnosis.
“Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms,” the statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre read.
“He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.
“The White House will provide regular updates on the President’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
The statement included a note from Biden’s doctor which explained that he was experiencing upper respiratory symptoms this afternoon including a runny nose, cough, and mucous.
The diagnosis comes as sources told ABC News that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are considering delaying the Democrat nomination process.
Schumer reportedly met with Biden on Saturday in Delaware.
Jeffires and Schumer’s decision follows rumblings among the Democrat party that Biden is unfit to continue his presidential campaign.
Biden attended an earlier event on Wednesday where he was pictured greeting supporters in a restaurant.
His doctor said he felt okay at the start of the day, but after the symptoms did not disappear, the president was advised to take a test for Covid-19.
His doctor added that Biden would continue to self-isolate with CDC guidance.
Biden’s respiratory rate and temperature remain normal. He has received a dose of Paxlovid.
Paxlovid is a popular medication used to treat mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms.
Joe Biden’s doctors note
On Wednesday, Janet Murguia the president and CEO of UnidosUS announced that Presidnet Biden had contracted COVID and would not be speaking at the UnidosUS conference. The White House later confirmed the diagnosis with a statement.
The note from Biden’s doctor read:
“The President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorrhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise.
“He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus.
“Given this, the President will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals.
“PCR confirmation testing will be pending. His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%.
“The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth.”
According to The White House’s tweet on X
After the news broke, Biden was seen boarding Air Force One as reporters shouted questions at him.
He told reporters that he was feeling “good,” and gave them a thumbs up as he walked from his car to the plane.
Biden previously tested positive for the virus in July 2022.
The president released a video at the time addressing the public and assuring Americans that his symptoms were mild.
“Going to continue to get it done and in the meantime, thanks for your concern and keep the faith. It’s gonna be okay,” he told his constituents.
Biden then tested positive again in the same month in what was likely a “rebound” diagnosis.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL INTERRUPTION
The news comes as the president has been traveling for speaking engagements as part of his re-election campaign.
Biden sat down with BET News this week for an interview, revealing that he would re-evaluate his decision to run for re-election if he had a medical issue.
When asked what it would take to re-consider his run, Biden responded, “If I had some medical condition that emerged.”
Biden then clarified, “If doctors came to me and said, ‘You got this problem, that problem.’”
The comments come as Biden has stood firm on his decision to continue the campaign.
During an interview with George Stephanopoulos, he said that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to drop out.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to President Biden’s campaign team and his communications department for comment.
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