President Biden Releases Statement On Twitter About COVID Diagnosis

79-year-old President Biden has tested positive for the coronavirus.

President Biden has been vaccinated and has received two booster shots. 

The White House released a letter from his physician saying the President's symptoms were fatigue, a runny nose, and an occasional dry cough. 

President Biden released a statement on Twitter. 

"Hey folks, guess you heard, this morning I tested positive for COVID. But I've been double vaccinated, double boosted, symptoms are mild. And I really appreciate your inquiries and concerns. But I'm doing well. Getting a lot of work done. Going to continue getting it done and in the meantime, thanks for your concern. And keep the faith. It's going to be okay," said President Biden.  

There's an increased risk of severe illness in older adults, so the CDC has stressed the need for vaccinations, social distancing and frequent hand-washing. 

The White House says the President will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative. 

"I just want to take a minute to sort of mark this moment. Because the President is fully vaccinated, double boosted, his risk of serious illness is dramatically lower. He's also getting treated with a powerful antiviral and that further reduces his risk." said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID Response Coordinator.  

The President is being treated with Paxlovid, an antiviral drug used to minimize the severity of the virus. 

Dr. Jayne Morgan is the executive director of the COVID Task Force, at Piedmont Healthcare.

"By and large most people will feel much better after taking Paxlovid, and certainly he is in the age group and the group that has the propensity to have more severe disease were they not treated with Paxlovid. And so we're happy to see the President receive this treatment," Dr. Morgan said. 

Just a day before he tested positive, President Biden had a message for the unvaccinated. 

"It's not in their interest or the public's interest not to get vaccinated. We have the capacity to control it. They should get vaccinated," said President Biden.  

In recent weeks, U.S. officials have urged the public to get booster shots and consider masks in public indoor settings as the BA-5 variant spreads. 

The CDC reports the virus is still killing an average of 353 people a day. 

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