Biden Contracts COVID-19 Amid Growing Calls To Withdraw From Re-Election Campaign
After a disastrous debate and facing growing calls within his party to withdraw from the race, Biden is trying to reshape his image. However, at this critical moment, the 83-year-old man contracted COVID-19 again and had to end his activities in Las Vegas.
The White House released a statement on Wednesday stating that Biden tested positive for the coronavirus earlier that day after concluding his first event in Las Vegas.
The statement said that Biden has been vaccinated and boosted, and his symptoms are currently very mild. He will return to his home in Delaware for self-isolation and continue to fulfill his duties during the isolation period. The White House will regularly update the president's status.
Biden's doctor said that the president had symptoms of a runny nose and non-productive cough in the afternoon on Wednesday. Currently, Biden's symptoms remain mild, with normal body temperature and respiratory rate, and an oxygen saturation of 97%. Biden has taken the first dose of Paxlovid.
He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus, the doctor said.
Before the White House released the statement, the president of the Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS said that Biden would not be able to speak at the scheduled event.
The day before, Biden was again asked in a media interview whether he was determined to continue running for re-election. He said that if his health condition changes, he will reassess whether to continue running.
At present, Democrats are calling on Biden to give up his re-election campaign. These Democrats worry that Biden is too old to run for re-election and hope he will step aside for another candidate.
The latest call for withdrawal came from U.S. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff. He called on Biden to end his re-election campaign in a statement on Wednesday, becoming the 20th congressional Democrat to do so.
I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November, Schiff said. choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, but I believe it is time for him to pass the torch.