The White House said on Monday that first lady Jill Biden had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The brief statement offered few details about the development.
“This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware,” read the statement from Elizabeth Alexander, the communications director for the first lady.
The 71-year-old had previously tested positive in Aug. 2022 and had quarantined for 10 days at that time.
A second statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered details about President Joe Biden’s health status.
“Following the First Lady’s positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was administered a COVID test this evening. The President tested negative. The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms,” read the statement.
The development comes as health officials warn about the emergence of a coronavirus variant known as Eris that is said to be not as lethal as prior variants, but more communicable. The World Health Organization has said it is monitoring the variant for mutations that could make it more severe.
The president’s health has become an issue in the 2024 election as Republicans hammer him over numerous awkward interactions and missteps they attribute to his advanced age.
A recent poll found that a large majority of Americans, 77%, believed that Biden was far too old to effectively serve for another 4 years as president. Even 69% of Democratic voters opined that he was too old to be effective.
The new variant is named after the Greek goddess of strife and discord.
Here’s more about the Eris coronavirus variant:
Dr. Scott Gottlieb: Nothing suggests new ‘Eris’ Covid variant is more pathogenic than prior variantswww.youtube.com
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