US president Joe Biden’s wife tests positive for Covid 19

US President Joe Biden’s wife Jill Biden, the first lady, tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced late Monday night.

According to the reports, Jill Biden is experiencing only mild symptoms and will remain at the family home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where she and President Joe Biden spent part of the weekend.

The President however tested negative for the virus after the first lady’s diagnosis, a spokesperson said. The president returned to the White House on Monday evening. Officials said the president would continue to test on “a regular cadence” throughout the week.

The first lady’s diagnosis is a reminder that COVID-19 remains a potent virus in the country.

In recent weeks, public health authorities have noted an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections around the country, though the total number remains low and experts do not believe the United States will experience a dangerous wave of illness like those during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Still, scientists have identified new variants of concern, called EG.5 and BA.2.86. EG.5 has become the dominant variant of Covid in the United States and BA.2.86 — while responsible for fewer infections — shows more than the usual amount of mutations from the original coronavirus, a fact that concerns scientists because it could mean it is better at evading vaccines.

The effects of COVID-19 on daily life in America have largely receded, though it remains a danger for the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

For Joe Biden, his wife’s illness is a throwback to the beginning of his administration, when the virus was raging and the economy was reeling from closures.

Biden spent Saturday with his wife as the couple traveled to Florida to tour the damage from Hurricane Idalia. They spent Sunday at their home in Rehoboth Beach.