Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has ‘mild symptoms’

President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, making him the second U.S. president to get the virus and underscoring the extent to which the virus has infiltrated American society.

President Biden tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House announced in a statement.

The president, who is 79 years old, is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but the development is certain to trigger concerns about his health given his age.

“This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19.  He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms. He has begun taking Paxlovid. Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.