The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 after an event in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
This is the third time the president has tested positive for the virus, and Biden isn’t the only one. COVID-19 positivity rates have risen in recent days, as have emergency room visits and deaths.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Biden, 81, had received the vaccine and a booster shot and was “experiencing mild symptoms.”
The majority of cases are still caused by the newest variant of COVID-19, known as KP.3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to CDC data using the Nowcast data tracker, KP.3 accounted for approximately 37% of COVID-19 cases in the United States during the two-week period from June 23 to July 6. Other variants of the virus, including KP.2 and “FLiRT,” continue to cause COVID-19 infections in the United States.
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Current COVID death and hospitalization rates
As positive test rates and emergency room visits rise, death and hospitalization rates are also increasing, according to CDC data.
As of July 6, the CDC reported that test positivity rates had increased by 11% from the previous week, and emergency department visits for COVID-19 had increased by 1.3% from the previous week.
The number of COVID-19 deaths also increased by 0.8% from the previous week.
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COVID KP.3 variant
KP.3 is the most common COVID variant currently affecting people. According to the latest CDC data, the strain accounts for 36.9% of new COVID-19 cases in the two weeks ending July 6. The next most common strain after the KP.3 strain is the KP.2 strain, accounting for 24.4% of cases, according to the CDC report.
CDC spokesperson Rosa Norman previously told USA Today that KP.3 is a “sublineage of the JN.1 lineage” and is derived from the Omicron variant.
“KP.3 evolved from JN.1, the major virus lineage circulating since December 2023,” Norman said. “It is very similar to JN.1, with only two spike changes compared to JN.1.”
Symptoms of COVID-19 KP.3 variant
In a statement previously provided to USA Today, Norman said symptoms associated with KP.3 are identical to those of the JN.1 variant. Symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- cough
- sore throat
- Stuffy or runny nose
- headache
- muscle pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Malaise
- New loss of taste or smell
- “Brain fog” (waking up semi-conscious)
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (upset stomach, mild diarrhea, vomiting)
The CDC notes that this list is not all-inclusive and symptoms may change with the new variant and may vary from person to person.
According to the agency, typically people infected with COVID-19 experience symptoms that range from mild to severe, and symptoms can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.
Current COVID Vaccine Guidelines
Currently, the CDC recommends the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax to prevent infection with the virus.
In June, the CDC director adopted the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to use the latest 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines for people 6 months of age and older, pending FDA approval.
The improved vaccine is expected to be released in the fall as a rise in COVID-19 cases is expected over the winter.
How many times has Biden been infected with coronavirus?
Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 three times before, first contracting the virus in July 2022, but had received the vaccine and two booster doses at the time. Biden took Paxlovid and continued to work from the White House while self-isolating.
After completing his five-day quarantine, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time, and although he had no symptoms when the infection recurred, he said he went back into isolation until his test came back negative.
Wednesday’s announcement marked the third time the president has tested positive for the virus.
Contributing writers: Ajane Forbes and Rachel Barbour, USA TODAY.
