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President Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis derailed his internal plans, presenting some other impediment to the president’s efforts to step up and sell his achievements before the upcoming midterm elections.
Biden’s positive case has led the White House to cancel, so far, planned trips to Pennsylvania and Florida, two key battlegrounds. Biden has sought to get more on the road since the beginning of the year, but his domestic plans have also been limited through overseas and his focus on the Russian war in Ukraine.
It’s unclear precisely how long Biden, who has mild symptoms, will be isolated.
The White House said Biden will remain isolated for at least five days and stay away from other people until he gets a negative coronavirus test. That means he could resume his in-person activities as soon as Wednesday.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules call for a 10-day quarantine, but say Americans can shorten that quarantine to as little as five days if the patient has no symptoms. face masks.
“I think ten days is probably a smart estimate,” said Anand Parekh, a senior medical adviser at the Bipartisan Policy Center who worked at the Department of Health and Human Services under former President Obama. “I think they’re probably conservative right now. “
Biden’s remedy with Paxlovid, an antiviral used to mitigate the severity of COVID-19, adds to questions about the length of his quarantine. However, some patients who have used antiviral therapy have experienced an uptick in symptoms, which could potentially prolong Biden’s illness. isolation.
Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that in some cases, patients can test negative and, several days later, test positive again.
“These cases have posed a challenge and confusion about what to do,” Osterholm said.
There’s also a chance that Biden’s case will get worse, though experts say it’s unlikely given that he’s up to date with his reminders and is getting Paxlovid.
“I think we have any and all explanations for why we’re optimistic,” Osterholm said, noting that Biden’s only threat is his age.
The White House should get Biden back on the road as soon as possible, while taking care of his fitness and that of those around him.
“When it comes to their agenda. We’ll see how the president manages, he gets better,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday, noting that Biden has been actively executing his isolation. “He’s still doing the president’s job. “
Biden has attempted to cross the country in an effort to inform the electorate about the successes of Democrats under his leadership, such as the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the U. S. bailout. He had hoped to promote Pennsylvania’s bipartisan gun reform bill Thursday before testing positive.
His vacation there was also an opportunity for the president to push for more measures to help police, fight crime and efforts to save you from gun violence, which Democrats and advocates have called for.
Biden was also scheduled to travel to Florida on Monday to lead a convention organized through the National Organization of Black Executives of Law Enforcement.
In any case, his diagnosis disrupted plans for Biden to appear at Democratic National Committee events in person, considered by donors to be a must-have for the party as it seeks to raise more money ahead of the midterm elections. Jean-Pierre said Friday that the president was “not concerned” about the lack of such political occasions.
“I’m sure he would rather be in the country to talk about the successes of his administration, but like any person in charge, he will do whatever he wants temporarily and safely, without endangering others,” the former representative said. Chris Carney said. (D-Pa. ), a best friend of Biden’s.
“It turns out that almost a public figure avoids COVID in those days, especially a public figure as active as President Biden,” Carney added.
White House officials said Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis is still a possibility, given the large in-person events he witnessed in Washington and along the way.
“It’s anything we were for,” Jean-Pierre said Friday.
The board has pushed for Biden to be able to do his job from anywhere and for isolation at home not to prevent him from running. Public servants have become accustomed to remotely handling the two and a half years of the pandemic; Biden phoned at least 3 meetings friday to hear updates on national security issues, fuel costs and legislative priorities.
“He was elected a pandemic in which Republicans tried to make fun of him to be safe from COVID from his ‘basement’ and he was still able to convey a message to the American people. So I think this kind of break for him, away from internal travel, doesn’t replace the fact that his prospectsArray. . . they are still solid,” said Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright.
Others argue, however, that the president’s trips have been particularly effective in helping to publicize his successes anyway. His COVID-19 diagnosis comes as his passing score hit a record for his presidency and surpassed the lowest scores of the last two presidents this year. week. A recent vote puts Biden’s economic approval score at 30%, 11 issues below former President Trump’s minimum and 7 issues below former Obama’s minimum.
“Based on his declining polls, there is no evidence that the president has been effective along the way to sell his accomplishments or break through,” said Bruce Mehlman, a former Commerce Department deputy secretary under President George W. Bush.
Instead, Mehlman noted that Biden’s coronavirus diagnosis highlights the president’s age. Biden, 79, has faced persistent questions about whether he will run for president in 2024, though he insists that’s his intention.
“The biggest threat of his check being positive is the reinforcement of the ‘it’s old and weak’ narrative that critics claim,” Mehlman said.
Still, the president’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, reported Friday that Biden’s symptoms were “improving. “
While Biden remains in Washington, first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Harris have been traveling. Harris will travel to Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday and Indianapolis, Indiana, on Monday to meet with lawmakers and state leaders on reproductive rights. On Thursday, the first girl traveled to Michigan and Georgia to stop at schools with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
Seawright argued that members of management who travel when the president can’t do so is the most productive way to keep the electorate engaged and tout the White House’s successes.
“This is an opportunity for the White House and the administration to give other voices and turn over to others their political deployment documents,” Seawright said. “With the diversity of his cabinet, with the many friends and the extended circle of family accompanying President Joe Biden, there is no shortage of skill or voice to come out and communicate about the smart paintings this president has made. “
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