Joe Biden continues to improve after covid-19 diagnosis

President Joe Biden continues to improve with mild symptoms as he isolates with covid-19 at the White House.

White House physician Kevin O’Connor wrote in a memo Saturday that the president — who is being treated with Pfizer Inc.’s drug Paxlovid — is “responding to therapy as expected.”

“His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain entirely normal,” though Biden now has body aches among his symptoms, O’Connor said in the note. “His lungs remain clear,” and he’s “experiencing no shortness of breath all,” the doctor said.

The 79-year-old president’s symptoms for the last two days were runny nose, fatigue and an occasional “loose” cough. O’Connor also said preliminary sequencing results show Biden “most likely” was infected with the BA.5 variant that’s the prevalent one in the U.S. right now.

Biden tested positive for covid-19 on Thursday after a series of foreign and domestic trips where he didn’t adhere to social distancing or other mitigation measures.

During an economic briefing Friday that Biden joined virtually from the residence, he told his advisers with a hoarse voice that he’s feeling “much better than I sound.”

Despite his illness, the president has been maintaining a virtual work schedule, including receiving his daily security briefing and meeting with senior advisers to discuss legislative priorities.

The White House medical unit has identified 17 close contacts for the president, though none have tested positive.

Ashish Jha, the administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters Friday that Biden has been using an inhaler a few times since testing positive and never had a fever.

He also urged Americans — at Biden’s direction — to get vaccinated and boosted to avoid serious illness.