Editor's note: This story was updated on July 17, 2024.
July 16, 2024 – The summer spread of COVID-19 is removed from over, in keeping with newly released numbers, and one in every of the newest victims is President Joe Biden.
The 81-year-old Democrat tested positive on Wednesday, July 17, the White House said in an announcement.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had mild symptoms and would self-isolate at his home in Delaware but would proceed to perform all of his duties there. Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor, DO, said the president had upper respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose, a nonproductive cough and “general malaise.” While Biden was conducting his first event of the day in Las Vegas, he was subsequently tested. The test got here back positive.
Biden has his first dose Paxlovidsaid O'Connor, and is fully vaccinated and boosted.
COVID is increasing within the USA
According to the CDC, those most affected are people in western states and folks aged 65 and over. warnedbut there are latest signs that COVID is increasing in all regions of the US
The variety of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) continues to rise. Emergency room visits rose significantly in 26 states and Washington, DC, throughout the week ending July 6, in keeping with CDC data released Monday.
The largest increases in COVID-related ER visits were in Mississippi (up 83%), Rhode Island (up 55%), Idaho (up 45%) and Michigan (up 41%). The CDC defines a big increase as a week-on-week change of greater than 20%. Overall, nonetheless, lower than 2% of all ER visits in these states included a COVID diagnosis.
The region with the best rate of positive COVID tests The numbers reported to the CDC for the week ending July 6 include Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, which together had a positive test rate of 15.6%, in keeping with the newly released CDC data. Due to reduced reporting requirements, COVID testing data is now aggregated on the regional level.
The statewide average rate of positive COVID tests is 11%, representing a continued regular upward trend in comparison with the present 4-week average of seven.3%.
The update follows a recent increase in Wastewater Virus detections which are normally a precursor to those other recent signs of the virus' spread. Data released by the CDC on Friday shows that seven states are detecting “very high” levels of virus activity in wastewater, which is the best rating the CDC gives to wastewater detections. Those states are Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon and Texas. Another 19 states, representing all geographic regions of the U.S., are showing “high” levels of virus activity.
The CDC has beneficial that each one individuals 6 months and older be vaccinated in the autumn with a current COVID vaccine, which the agency says needs to be available in Beginning of September.