White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha confirmed on Sunday that President Joe Biden was infected by the BA.5 subvariant that is being called the most transmissible variant of COVID-19.
Jha shared the news on "Face the Nation" and gave an update on Biden, saying that the president is continuing to isolate himself from others and "doing just fine" while recovering.
"Thank goodness, our vaccines and therapeutics work well against it, which is why I think the president's doing well," Jha said. "I checked in with his team late last night. He was feeling well. He had a good day yesterday. He's got a viral syndrome, an upper respiratory infection, that is, and he's doing just fine."
During the interview Sunday morning, Jha said that he had not heard how the president was doing Sunday morning, but he was "feeling much, much better" as of Saturday night.
Biden, 79, tested positive for the virus for the first time after avoiding the virus for more than two years. However, he now marks the second active president to come down with the virus, and his physicians have shared he is taking the proper steps to fight it.
Dr. Kevin O'Connor shared that Biden began taking Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment, on Thursday along with Tylenol to help with pain and inflammation, according to a press release on Saturday.
When it comes to symptoms, O'Connor put in his press release that Biden had a sore throat, runny nose, loose cough, and body aches. His pulse, respiratory rate, temperature, and blood pressure were all reportedly normal.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shared when delivering the news of Biden's infection that the president had been fully vaccinated and received two booster shots, per CDC recommendations. He is currently isolating at the White House and continuing to work when he can.
Updates have been provided on Biden since he tested positive, with the administration saying they find it essential to let the American people know his condition. If his condition worsens or his symptoms become "persistent," Jha said it would be shared "early and often."
"But I suspect this is going to be a course of COVID that we've seen in many Americans who have been fully vaccinated, double boosted, getting treated with those tools in hand," Jha said.
The subvariant BA.5 has fueled a resurgence in new COVID-19 cases throughout numerous states, and Jha says it accounts for roughly 80% of new infections.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist with the University of Minnesota, has shared with News Talk 830 WCCO that the subvariant is extremely transmissible, saying an "elevator ride" with someone who is infected is enough to get you sick.
Still, despite the subvariant's ability to evade protection from vaccines and previous infections, Osterholm and other experts say getting vaccinated is important because it could save your life.
"There's a difference between getting infected and having a serious illness and dying. I've been saying for months these vaccines are not perfect. They are far from perfect," Osterholm said. "They are not stopping people all the time from getting infected… but what's critical is keeping people out of the hospital, keeping people from being seriously ill, and keeping people from dying."
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