President Biden tests positive COVID, taking him off campaign trail during critical time

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden has again tested positive for COVID-19 .

Biden tested positive following an event Wednesday in Las Vegas, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

“He is vaccinated and boosted, and he is experiencing mild symptoms,” she said.

Biden will return to his home in Delaware, where he will self-isolate, Jean-Pierre said. "The White House will provide regular updates on the president’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation," she said.

Biden gave a thumbs up to reporters from the window of his presidential vehicle as his motorcade arrived at the tarmac at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to head to Delaware. He did not wear a face mask as he boarded Air Force One.

“Good,” Biden said when asked how he was feeling. “I feel good."

Later, Biden said in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, that during his isolation, "I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people."

It’s the third time the 81-year-old president has tested positive for COVID.

Biden first tested positive on July 21, 2022, and experienced mild symptoms. Nine days later, he tested positive again in a virus “rebound ” that patients treated with the antiviral medication Paxlovid sometimes experience , his doctor said.

The latest positive test came while Biden was in Nevada for a series of events, including the UnidosUS annual conference in Las Vegas. Biden was scheduled to speak to the group, which is the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization. But he did not come to the podium as scheduled.

“Regrettably, I was just on the phone with President Biden, and he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know, and just tested positive for COVD,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS.

"We understand that he needs to take the precautions that have been recommended, and he did not obviously want to put anybody at risk,” Murguía said.

More: Biden's age makes COVID risky. Is his health in danger?

Shortly before testing positive, Biden was taking selfies and talking to customers at The Original Lindo Michoácan Restaurant as he campaigned in Las Vegas before he was set to appear at the UnidosUS conference.

The White House released a note from Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, who said the president had upper respiratory symptoms including a runny nose and non-productive cough, with general malaise. Biden’s symptoms remain mild, the doctor said, and his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%.

“He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus,” O’Connor said in the note.

More: Full-blown crisis puts Biden on his heels. An inside look at campaign's pitfalls.

Biden's positive COVID test comes amid a crucial period in his reelection campaign against former President Donald Trump, who on Monday was formally handed the GOP nomination at the party's national convention in Milwaukee.

Biden's diagnosis – which could take him off the campaign trail for several days – punctuates what’s been a brutal stretch for him that began with a disastrous June 27 debate against Trump. Biden's uneven performance during the debate ignited calls from Democrats for him to withdraw from the race.

Biden has repeatedly rejected calls to quit, saying he's in the race to stay. He has increased his campaign appearances and interviews on television and radio to try to reassure Americans that he is up for a second term while many Democrats push for a new nominee.

Biden said in an interview with BET on Tuesday that he would consider dropping out only "if I had some medical condition that emerged, if the doctors came to me and said you got this problem or that problem."

Older adults face greater risk from COVID

Older adults face the highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . People over 65 account for more than 81% of COVID deaths – and the number of deaths among the age group is 97 times higher than for people aged 18 to 29. The odds of getting acutely ill also go up for people with other illnesses.

“Your risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases as the number of your underlying medical conditions increase,” the CDC said .

Hospitalizations and emergency room visits are far less frequent than in January when more than 2,000 people a week died from COVID.  As of June 15, the CDC estimated fewer than 150 people died of COVID-19.

Michael Collins and Joey Garrison cover the White House. Follow Collins on X @mcollinsNEWS and Garrison @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Biden tests positive COVID, taking him off campaign trail during critical time