Biden Tests Positive For Covid: The Latest on his Condition

The president contracted Covid and is taking new Covid-19 pills as treatment.

  • President Biden tested positive for Covid on Thursday.
  • Officials report that he is experiencing mild symptoms.
  • The president will reportedly continue to work while isolated in the White House.

The president tested positive for Covid on Thursday amid increasing Omicron sub-variant cases.

The Omicron variants render much milder symptoms than previous variants, as is the case for Mr. Biden. With effective antivirals like Paxlovid, which is being taken by the president, symptoms can be even milder.

The White House Covid coordinator, Dr. Ashish K. Jha, reported that Mr. Biden had a runny nose, was tired and had a dry cough. She stated that his symptoms did not warrant a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where presidents are generally treated.

Why this matters

  • Biden ran on a promise to neutralize Covid and has branded himself as pro-science.
  • Polls show that most Americans approve of Biden's response to Covid.
  • Democrats may be able to re-establish Covid in voters' minds by using Biden's illness as a springboard.

Covid has largely become an afterthought to the American public. Americans are ready for the pandemic to be over, with most jurisdictions adopting a "new normal" policy, dropping mask mandates and other restrictions. The president's illness is a reminder to Americans that Covid is around and is here to stay.

Biden ran on a promise to neutralize Covid and has branded himself as pro-science, earning one of his few polling victories on how the president is handling the Covid pandemic. His contraction of Covid could be used to motivate more Americans to get vaccinated, as only two-thirds are.

As the November midterms roll around, framing Covid as an enduring issue is advantageous to Democrats, who hope to cash in on their campaign to be perceived as the "party of science."

For now, though, polls suggest that Covid-19 is of low importance to voters. The two highest concerns are the economy and parental rights in education, two categories in which Republicans are leading, and in which Biden is performing dismally.

Biden's overall job approval rating just reached an all-time low, a worrying statistic for Democrats. The weight of a president's approval heavily impacts congressional races. Biden needs to shake up the politiverse ahead of the midterms if he hopes to pursue any meaningful policy in the second half of his term.

Democratic strategists may be able to use Biden's illness as a springboard to re-establish Covid in voters' minds. In a pandemic, the strategy is to appear as the best New restrictions and mandates may not be welcomed by most Americans, who appear to have moved on from the pandemic.