President Joe Biden touted his administration’s handling of the pandemic in remarks delivered hours after he tested negative for COVID-19, ending a five-day isolation period.
Biden spoke in the Rose Garden, marching to the podium with a mask but removing it to talk, and drew cheers for saying that he could now return to work in person.
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“My symptoms were mild, my recovery was quick, and I’m feeling great,” he said. “The entire time I was in isolation, I was able to work. … It’s a real statement about where we are in the fight against COVID-19.”
He took a shot at his predecessor, Donald Trump, by noting that the former president had to be transferred to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center when he got the coronavirus in 2020, whereas Biden continued working from the upper floor of the White House.
Biden also struggled to pronounce the name of the drug he took, Paxlovid, stumbling over the word before saying, “I used it.”
BIDEN: “Paxla-void. Pax-lavid, excuse me. Paxlovid. I tell you what, I think it’s — I used it. Ha ha ha.” pic.twitter.com/6MEZfST4aE
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The Rose Garden remarks came after Biden tested negative twice for COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, leading him to emerge from isolation.
On Wednesday morning, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor sent a letter announcing that Biden, who is 79, completed his Paxlovid course Monday night and that antigen tests given Tuesday evening and early Wednesday both came back negative. Biden has stopped taking Tylenol, and his symptoms “are almost completely resolved,” giving him the green light to make the speech.
The president tested positive last Thursday, leading to a five-day isolation period. Biden continued working throughout, with the White House tweeting pictures of him talking on the phone and wearing a suit. His symptoms never progressed beyond what O’Connor described as “very mild,” including a sore throat, a runny nose, and a somewhat deeper voice.
While the routine prompted some questions from the press about what message it sent to people who might want to ask their employer for sick days after contracting the virus, the White House opted to project a message of strength from the president, which continued with Wednesday’s speech.
Biden acknowledged that many people would continue getting the disease, but he stressed that it “doesn’t mean we’re doing anything wrong.”
The president said the deaths from COVID-19 are down 90% since he took office, and he recommended the public to take booster shots, tests, and treatments to get through the virus without fear.
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“You can live without fear by doing what I did,” he said. “Get boosted, get tested, get treatment.”
He then walked into the West Wing, ignoring shouted questions from reporters.
