Editor's note: This story was updated July 17, 2024.
July 16, 2024 – The summertime spread of COVID-19 is nowhere near ending, according to newly published numbers and one of it's latest victims is President Joe Biden.
The 81-year-old Democrat tested positive on Wednesday, July 17, the White House said in a statement.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is having mild symptoms and will self-isolate at his home in Delaware but will carry out all of his duties while there. Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, DO, said the president had upper-respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose, an un-productive cough and "general malaise." While Biden went through with his first event of the day in Las Vegas, he was tested afterward. the test came back positive.
Biden has had his first dose of Paxlovid, O'Connor said, and is fully vaccinated and boosted.
COVID Rising Across U.S.
Meanwhile, people living in Western states and people ages 65 and older are being impacted the most, the CDC warned, but there are new signs that COVID is increasing in every region of the U.S.
Positive test rates for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) continue their upward march, and emergency department visits were up substantially in 26 states plus Washington, DC, for the week ending July 6, according to CDC data published Monday.
The greatest increases for emergency visits involving COVID were in Mississippi (up 83%), Rhode Island (up 55%), Idaho (up 45%), and Michigan (up 41%). The CDC defines a substantial increase as a week-to-week change higher than 20%. Overall, though, less than 2% of all emergency visits in those states included a COVID diagnosis.
The region with the highest rate of positive COVID tests reported to the CDC for the week ending July 6 includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada, which combined posted a 15.6% positive test rate, according to the newly posted CDC data. COVID test data is now pooled at the regional level because of reduced reporting requirements.
The nationwide average rate for positive COVID tests is 11%, marking a continued steady upward trend compared to the running 4-week average of 7.3%.
The update follows a recent rise in wastewater virus detections, which are usually a precursor to these additional latest signs of the virus’ escalation. Data published Friday by the CDC show that seven states are experiencing what the CDC calls “very high” wastewater viral activity levels, which is the uppermost label the agency gives to wastewater detections. Those states are Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas. Another 19 states, representing every U.S. geographic region, are considered to have “high” levels of viral activity.
The CDC has recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older get an updated COVID vaccine this fall, which the agency says should be available in early September.
