Biden’s health improving, no close contacts tested positive for COVID, White House says By Reuters

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the media as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, is improving in health and none of his 17 identified close contacts have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, White House COVID coordinator Ashish Jha said on Sunday.

Jha told ABC News Biden “had a great day yesterday, was feeling well,” and that Biden’s close contacts were continuing to follow the protocols of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden, 79, had experienced mild symptoms, according to the White House. His diagnosis came as a highly contagious subvariant of the coronavirus drives a new wave of cases in the United States.

Jha told Fox on Sunday morning that Biden likely has that BA5 variant.

The White House has sought to underscore Biden’s ability to work through his illness. On Thursday it released a video of him reassuring Americans he was doing fine, and on Friday he participated in virtual meetings with White House staff.