HEALTH

Biden has COVID-19 and he isn’t alone. Cases are rising across the US.

Portrait of Emily DeLetter Emily DeLetter
USA TODAY

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 following an event Wednesday in Las Vegas, the White House confirmed.

This is the third time the president has tested positive for the virus. And Biden is not alone: the positivity rates for COVID-19 have been increasing recently, as have visits to the emergency department and deaths.

Biden, 81, is vaccinated and boosted and is "experiencing mild symptoms," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

A majority of cases still come from the latest variant of COVID-19 known as KP.3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC data using the Nowcast data tracker shows that in a two-week period from June 23 to July 6, KP.3 accounts for nearly 37% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Other variants of the virus still account for infections of COVID-19 in the U.S., including KP.2 and "FLiRT."

Here's what to know about the current state of COVID-19 in the U.S.

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Current COVID death, hospitalization rates

As rates for positive tests and emergency room visits have increased, so have the rates for deaths and hospitalizations, CDC data shows.

As of July 6, the CDC reported an 11% increase in test positivity from the last week, and a 1.3% increase in COVID-19 emergency department visits from the previous week.

There was also a 0.8% increase in COVID-19 deaths from the last week.

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COVID KP.3 variant

KP.3 is the largest COVID variant impacting people right now. The strand accounts for a 36.9% share of new COVID-19 cases in the two-week period ending July 6, according to the most recent CDC data available. Just behind the KP.3 strand is the KP.2 strand, which accounts for 24.4% of cases, the CDC reports.

KP.3 is a "sublineage of the JN.1 lineage,” which come from the Omicron variant, CDC spokesperson Rosa Norman previously told USA TODAY.

“KP.3 evolved from JN.1, which was the major viral lineage circulating since December 2023,” Norman said. “It is very similar to JN.1 and only has two changes in spike compared to JN.1.”

COVID-19 KP.3 variant symptoms

In a statement previously given to USA TODAY, Norman said symptoms associated with KP.3 are identical to those from the JN.1 variant. Those include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • "Brain fog" (feeling less wakeful and aware)
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms (upset stomach, mild diarrhea, vomiting)

The CDC notes that the list does not include all possible symptoms and that symptoms may change with new variants and can vary by person.

In general, the agency says, people with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe illness. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure.

Current COVID vaccine guidelines

Currently, the CDC recommends the 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax to protect against the virus.

In June, the CDC Director adopted the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendations for use of the latest 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines in people ages 6 months and older, pending FDA approval.

The updated vaccines are set to be released in the fall, ahead of expected winter upticks in COVID-19 cases.

How many times has Biden had COVID?

Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 three times. He first caught the virus in July 2022 after he had already received the vaccine and two boosters. He took Paxlovid, self-isolated, and continued to work in the White House.

After emerging from a five-day isolation period, Biden tested positive for COVID a second time. Biden said he experienced no symptoms during the rebound case, but he returned to isolation again until he tested negative.

Wednesday's announcement marked the third time the president has tested positive for the virus.

Contributing: Ahjané Forbes, Rachel Barber, USA TODAY.