US President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid again

Only days after returning negative tests following an infection, US President Joe Biden is back in isolation.

US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid again, the White House has revealed.

The 79-year-old leader returned another positive result only days after last week testing negative four times following an earlier infection. He is not experiencing any symptoms, but will re-enter isolation for a further five days, in line with US guidelines.

In a letter released by the White House, his doctor Kevin O’Connor described the positive as a “rebound” case, and said the recurrence of a positive result had been seen in a small number of Covid patients that had been treated with Paxlovid, as Mr Biden had been.

“The President has experienced no re-emergence of symptoms and continues to feel quite well,” Dr O’Connor said.

“This being the case, there is no reason to reinstate treatment at this time, but we will obviously continue close observation.”

Joe Biden has no symptoms but will isolate for five days under US guidelines. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

As Mr Biden had tested negative earlier in the week, he returned to in-person meetings. He was not masked up during an outdoor event but the White House has said social distancing was observed.

Mr Biden tweeted that while he will be isolating over the coming days, he is “still at work, and will be on the road soon.”

Scheduled trips to the US states of Delaware and Michigan have been cancelled.

Mr Biden first tested positive for Covid on July 21 and had apparently experienced mild symptoms including a runny nose, a dry cough and fatigue.

He is fully vaccinated against Covid, receiving his fourth shot in March.

Mr Biden will turn 80 in November.

Originally published as US President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid again