According to the White House, Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing only minor symptoms.
His press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that the US president has received booster shots. According to the BBC, he has already tested positive for COVID twice.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Biden, 81, was spotted attending an event and touring supporters in Las Vegas. He has canceled his later-in-the-evening campaign speech.
The sickness coincides with mounting pressure on him to retire due to age.
US media outlets report The top two Democrats in the US Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, separately met with Mr. Biden in private and conveyed their serious concerns that his candidacy would have a negative effect on other House and Senate contests.
The president, according to Ms. Jean-Pierre, intended to withdraw to his Delaware home and perform “all of his duties fully during that time”.
According to the president’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, Mr. Biden was prescribed his first dose of Paxlovid after he showed signs of upper respiratory tract symptoms, such as a runny nose and cough.
He felt fine during his first event of the day, but later tested positive Dr O’Connor said.
Mr Biden later used X/Twitter to thank everyone for “the well wishes” and said he would “work to get the job done for the American people” while in recovery.
In another tweet his account stated: “I’m sick”, before replying back: “… of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election. And if you agree, pitch in here.”
The tweet pointed to a donations portal.
Reporters on the Las Vegas trip said they were rushed to the city’s airport following the announcement.
According to the video, Mr. Biden ascended the stairs to the plane gingerly and slowly. There was no mask on him.
“Good, I feel good,” he was recorded saying as he climbed on Air Force One.
The president was had to postpone an address at the Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS.
The news of Mr. Biden’s sickness coincides with increasing calls for him to drop out of the contest.
Nearly two dozen Democratic politicians have called for him to step aside in recent weeks, including Adam Schiff, a congressman from California,, who said today he had serious doubts about whether the president could beat former President Donald Trump.
He called on Mr Biden to “pass the torch”.
Mr Schiff said that Mr Biden “has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history”, and he could “secure his legacy of leadership” by allowing another Democrat to step forward.
Mr Schumer and Mr Jeffries – Congress’ top two Democrats – met with Mr Biden privately in recent days and expressed concerns by fellow lawmakers that him being at the top of the November election ticket could hurt their chances for controlling either chamber in Congress, according to reports from ABC News, the Washington Post and Politico.
“The President told both leaders he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said after the reports.
A spokesman for Mr Jeffries said, “it was a private conversation that will remain private”. Mr Schumer’s office called the reporting “idle speculation” but added the Democratic leader “conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden”.
In an interview with BET, which was due to be broadcast on Wednesday evening, Mr Biden said he did not feel he could pass the mantle with the country so “divided”.
The president also said, for the first time, that he would consider dropping out of the race if any of his doctors said he had a “medical condition”.
