After 547 days in office and untold numbers of public events and face-to-face meetings, President Joe Biden tested positive today for COVID-19. “He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms," the White House said in a statement. "Consistent with guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time."
In an official memorandum, Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, physician to the president, said Biden was experiencing “mostly rhinorrhea (or ‘runny nose’) and fatigue, with an occasional dry cough, which started yesterday evening.” Biden has begun taking the antiviral medication Paxlovid, which is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people ages 18 and older who have at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19. Biden’s age—at 79—is one such risk factor.
“Early use of Paxlovid in this case provides additional protection against severe disease,” O’Connor wrote. Given both the use of the drug and the president’s vaccination and booster status, O’Connor added, “I anticipate that he will respond favorably, as most maximally protected patients do.”
From the beginning, COVID-19 has hit seniors harder than people of any other age group, causing a higher risk of progression to severe disease, hospitalization, and death. COVID-19-related death rates in the president’s age group (75 to 84) are 140 times greater than those in the 18 to 29 group, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That’s why Paxlovid was a natural call in the president’s case. According to Pfizer, the manufacturer of the drug, Paxlovid cuts the risk of hospitalization and death by 89% in high-risk adults when administered within five days of the appearance of symptoms.
Vice President Kamala Harris has tested negative, according to a White House official, and was last with the President on Tuesday. A planned presidential trip to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania this afternoon, where Biden planned to speak about gun violence, was canceled.
Until Biden tests negative, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says he will remain in the White House residence and conduct all official business by telephone or Zoom. He will return to in-person work only when he tests negative. “Out of an abundance of transparency,” she added, “the White House will provide a daily update on the President’s status.”
Biden himself tried to assure the public when he posted a short video to Twitter this afternoon, saying that he's doing well. "Thanks for your concern, and keep the faith," he said. "It's going to be okay."
More than 566.7 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 9 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 6.38 million people have died. On July 20, there were more than 1.5 million new cases and 6,445 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending, in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here's every country that has reported over 10 million cases:
The U.S. had recorded more than 90 million coronavirus cases as of 9 a.m. E.T. today. More than 1.02 million people have died. On July 20, 216,194 new cases were reported and 883 new deaths were confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of July 21. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
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WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
China is undergoing yet another COVID-19 surge, led by infections in rural regions, reports the Wall Street Journal. On Tuesday, the government counted 906 cases in China, the country's highest one-day tally since May 20, 2022. In less-developed regions, cases leapt fourfold since last week. Meanwhile, after officials implemented draconian lockdown policies in major cities, Shanghai recorded just 15 new infections on Tuesday, and Guangdong just 27.
The Washington, D.C., school systemwill issue a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all students 12 and older this fall, reports ABC News. The new rule, announced yesterday, also applies to private, parochial, and independent schools. The school system goes into the mandate with a big head start: As of July 13, 80% of residents ages 12 to 15, and 76% of 16 and 17 year olds, have been fully vaccinated. Some exemptions will be permitted, but the school system has not yet announced whether they will apply only to students who cannot receive the vaccines for medical reasons or if they will also include religious and personal belief exemptions.
The White House is reportedly establishing a new division to lead the pandemic response and handle future health emergencies, according to the Washington Post. The 1,000-person team, which will be called the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), already exists, but anonymous sources familiar with the decision tell the Post that ASPR will be given more power to coordinate a national response to future crises.
Drug overdose deaths have risen among Black and Indigenous Americans more than among other groups during the pandemic, reports my colleague Tara Law. According to a study published this week, overdose deaths rose 44% among Black people from 2019 to 2020 and 39% among American Indian and Alaska Native persons, compared to 22% for white Americans. Drug-related deaths in the U.S. do typically vary by race and ethnicity due, in part, to reduced access to health care among some groups, but the pandemic exacerbated the problem by causing mental-health issues, isolation, and increased contamination of the drug supply.
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Today's newsletter was written by Jeffrey Kluger and edited by Mandy Oaklander.
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