President Biden’s COVID-19 symptoms 'improved meaningfully,' doctor says

President Joe Biden's doctor said Friday that the president is recovering well as he recuperates from mild coronavirus symptoms.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, said in a letter that President Biden’s COVID-19 symptoms had “improved meaningfully from yesterday." and said he would continue on with the doses of the antiviral drug Paxlovid "as planned." President Biden has been isolating at his seaside home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday while campaigning in Las Vegas.

Dr. O’Connor said all of the president's blood work came back as normal and said that President Biden was not demonstrating anemia or any evidence of a bacterial infection, and that he had a normal level of electrolytes. Dr. O’Connor said the president has a normal pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate along with a normal temperature. His lungs also remain clear, the White House doctor said, adding that his oxygen saturation "continues to be excellent on room air."

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president is vaccinated and boosted and had been suffering from mild symptoms since at least Wednesday afternoon.

When the president reported not feeling well, he was given a rapid COVID-19 test and the results came back as positive.

Reporters at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas said the president leaned out of the window of the presidential state car, known as "The Beast," and gave the press a thumbs-up on Wednesday afternoon. He was not wearing a mask at the time.