Biden’s condition continues to improve with sore throat now predominant symptom, President’s physician says
(CNN) — President Joe Biden’s “symptoms continue to improve significantly,” following his Covid-19 diagnosis Thursday, the President’s physician wrote in a Sunday letter.
Biden’s “predominant symptom now is sore throat,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor writes, which he ascribes as likely due to “lymphoid activation as his body clears the virus,” calling the development “encouraging.”
Other symptoms, including rhinorrhea (runny noise) cough, and body aches “have diminished considerably,” O’Connor said, while pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature all remain normal.
Per O’Connor, Biden will continue being treated with Paxlovid, with symptoms being “treated supportively” with oral hydration, Tylenol, and the albuterol inhaler “as needed for occasional cough.” Biden will continue to isolate in accordance with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, also weighed in on Biden’s condition on Sunday, telling Fox that he received his last update from the President’s medical team the night before and that Biden had a “good day.”
“I touched base with his team last night. That was when I got my last update. He had a good day, he worked a little, rested a little, finally listened to some of us on the advice to get some rest. And as of last night, he was feeling just fine,” he said.
Jha said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he suspects Biden’s case “is going to be a course of Covid that we’ve seen in many Americans who have been fully vaccinated, double boosted, getting treated with those tools in hand.”
“You know, the President has been doing well, and we’re gonna expect that he’s going to continue to do so,” he told the network.
Jha also agreed on Sunday to be transparent with the American people if Biden endured long Covid-19 or debilitating post-Covid conditions, though he downplayed the likelihood that Biden would have them.
“Absolutely,” Jha told CBS when asked if the White House would continue to make disclosures if he has long-term symptoms.
“We think it’s really important for the American people to know how well the President’s doing, which is why we have been so transparent, giving updates several times a day,” he said. “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.”
The CDC defines long Covid as health problems that last four or more weeks after a Covid-19 infection. The World Health Organization definition adds that the symptoms should not be able to be explained by an alternative diagnosis.