Jill Biden is in isolation for a second time in as many weeks after catching Covid twice

The double-vaccinated and twice boosted First Lady now has double Covid after testing positive for the second time in as many weeks.

Jill Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time in as many weeks.

The First Lady returned a positive antigen test for a day after testing negative in what her deputy communications director Kelsey Donohue told CNN was a rebound case of the virus.

Ms Biden has is in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after having come out of isolation for her previous bout of Covid-19.

Donohue said Ms Biden was tested as part of a routine and had not had a re-emergence of symptoms.

Her “small number of close contacts” have been notified, she said.

Ms Biden first tested positive about 10 days ago August 15 after suffering cold-like symptoms while vacationing in South Carolina.

She was being treated with antiviral drug Paxlovid, the same prescribed to husband Joe Biden.

A White House official told CNN that the president tested negative but would mask for 10 days indoors after being in close contact with his wife.

Mr Biden also had a rebound case after initially recovering from Covid, with the antiviral treatment Paxlovid said to result in the recurrence of Covid.

Ms Biden will remain at the couple’s beach house in Delaware until she recovers.

JILL BIDEN CATCHES COVID
US First Lady Jill Biden is isolating with “mild symptoms” after testing positive for Covid-19 two weeks after Joe Biden caught the virus for a second time.

The 71-year-old wife of the president tested negative Monday but developed “cold-like symptoms late in the evening,” her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement.

A subsequent rapid antigen test was negative, but a more detailed PCR test was positive, Alexander said.

Joe and Jill Biden caught Covid within two weeks of each other. Picture: AFP

“Close contacts of the First Lady have been notified,” she said.

President Biden tested negative on Tuesday morning, the White House said in a statement.

“Consistent with Centers for CDC guidance because he is a close contact of the First Lady, he will mask for 10 days when indoors and in close proximity to others,” the White House said.

“We will also increase the President’s testing cadence and report those results.”

Ms Biden has been prescribed a course of Paxlovid and, following CDC guidance, will isolate from others for at least five days.

She “is double vaccinated, twice boosted, and only experiencing mild symptoms,” Alexander added.

Ms Biden tested positive while on holiday in South Carolina, where she is staying at a private residence and will return to the White House after two consecutive negative tests, her aide said.

President Biden, who turns 80 in November, has recently recovered from two separate bouts of the coronavirus.

He first tested positive on July 21 and continued to carry out his duties while isolating at the White House.

After four days of negative tests he again received a positive result on July 30 and entered isolation a second time.

What is Paxlovid, the Covid drug prescribed to Jill Biden?

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill developed by Pfizer that can be taken at home for patients with mild-moderate Covid-19 who have a high risk of developing severe disease.

Taking the treatment orally allows patients to avoid hospitals, where they can be exposed to further infection.

How is it taken?

A prescription must be started as early as possible after being diagnosed. After the onset of Covid symptoms, a course must be started within 5 days.

How does it work?

Paxlovid is a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, taken in two separate tablets taken twice a day for five days.

Nirmatrelvir inhibits an enzyme that Covid requires to make functional virus particles. Covid virus released from cells affected by nirmatrelvir is no longer able to enter uninfected cells, effectively preventing the virus from replicating.

Ritonavir, a drug used to treat HIV/AIDS, is used to boost the levels of antiviral medicines by slowing down the liver’s ability to metabolise nirmatrelvir, allowing it to stay in the body longer to fight the virus.

How effective is the drug?

Paxlovid has shown an 89 per cent reduction in the risk of hospitalisation and death in clinical trials. The result prompted the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prioritise it over other COVID-19 treatments.

Sure, but does it work against Omicron?

While clinical trials took place before Omicron, three studies - all conducted by Pfizer, suggest it also works against the most contagious variant of Covid. Neither of the studies, however, has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

What are the side effects?

Serious side effects show signs of an allergic reaction, and people are told to see a doctor immediately if they experience hives, trouble swallowing or breathing, swelling of the mouth, lips or face, throat tightness, hoarseness, or skin rash.

Other side effects included an altered sense of taste, diarrhoea, increased blood pressure, muscle aches, abdominal pain, nausea or malaise.

Why do people taking Paxlovid need to stop other medications?

The FDA recognises Paxlovid as potentially interacting negatively with other anticoagulant medications, but not specifically Eliquis -- though manufacturers advise caution about mixing the two drugs.

Is it approved and available in Australia?

Paxlovid, became the first oral antiviral treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency in December last year.

It has since been approved countries including Canada, Israel, and Australia. The drug was listed on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) on May 1, 2022.

Who is eligible for Plaxovid in Australia under the PBS?

Access to the drug on the PBS was expanded on July 11 for all Australians aged over 70 who test positive for Covid, as well as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors. Immunocompromised people over 18 may also be eligible.

What are the costs?

Paxlovid, as well as the version from Merck (Lageviro), normally cost more than $1000 but will only be $6.80 for a concession card holder, and around $40 for everyone else, under the PBS.

- With AFP