President Biden Tests Negative For COVID-19, Will Remain In Isolation

WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday after testing positive for a second time last weekend, according to a letter from White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor.

Biden originally tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21. He tested negative six days later and tested positive for a second time on July 30.

Out of an abundance of caution, Biden will continue to isolate pending a second negative test, O'Connor said.

In an earlier letter, O'Connor described Biden's second positive test as "rebound positivity," often observed in patients treated with Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease.

The 79-year-old president was given a five-day course of the drug after first testing positive.

The rebound case brought a recurrence of mild symptoms, including a cough. O’Connor wrote Friday that the cough “has almost completely resolved,” although Biden still tested positive that morning.

COVID-19 has scrambled some of Biden's plans. For example, he canceled a personal visit with veterans demonstrating for health care legislation outside the U.S. Capitol, making a video call instead.