US President Biden tests Covid-19 positive, US caseload surpasses 90 mn

US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and will be self-isolating at the White House from where he will continue to carry out his official duties, the White House said in a statement on Thursday.

Biden (79), who is fully vaccinated and has taken the booster dose, is showing mild symptoms and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral used to treat Covid-19.

Kevin O'Connor, the President's doctor, said in a statement that Biden tested positive in a routine morning screening on Thursday, first by an antigen test and subsequently through RT-PCR.

He added that the President was showing mild symptoms -- runny nose, fatigue and an occasional dry cough -- and being fully vaccinated and twice-boosted, he is expected to respond favourably to the treatment as most maximally protected people.

The White House said Biden will work from self-isolation over phone and on Zoom till he tests negative, which could take seven to eight days.

Jill Biden, the First Lady, has tested negative. She told reporters that she spoke with her husband in the morning and he is feeling fine. For herself, she said she intends to stay with her schedule.

Biden joins a growing band of world leaders to have tested positive for the virus that has killed 6.3 million people around the world and infected over 562 million.

Other world leaders to have been infected before include his predecessor Donald Trump and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had been put in ICU, France President Emmanuel Macron and Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro.

"This morning, President Biden tested positive for Covid-19," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement, adding, "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. He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence."

Jean-Pierre added, "Consistent with White House protocol for positive Covid cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative. Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work."

Biden has been careful and cautious as he went about his meetings and trips abroad, but his exposure to so many people almost on a daily visit, as other world leaders, left him vulnerable to the virus, which is still around in its newest iteration, Omicron BA.5, in the US, experts said.

US caseload crosses 90 million

Biden got vaccinated in full view of news cameras in a bid to encourage people to get themselves inoculated as well. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had also volunteered to get vaccinated publicly and together featured in a video to spread the word.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the US has surpassed 90 million, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.

The US Covid-19 case count rose to 90,066,295, with a total of 1,025,796 deaths, as of Thursday, reports said, citing the data.

The US remains the nation worst hit by the pandemic, with the world's most cases and deaths.

US Covid-19 caseload reached 50 million on December 13, 2021, crossed 60 million on January 9, 2022, exceeded 70 million on January 21, and surpassed 80 million on March 29.

Other countries

Meanwhile, South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 70,000 on Friday but are nearly 10 times higher as compared to those reported in June amid the spread of a highly contagious Omicron subvariant.

Malaysia recorded 4,587 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total tally to 4,640,235, according to the Health Ministry.

India reported 21,880 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, a marginal rise from the previous day's count of 21,566, said the Union Health Ministry on Friday.

(With inputs from IANS)