US President Joe Biden is responding well to treatment and his symptoms have improved since his Covid-19 diagnosis, his doctor said on Friday, a day after the leader tested positive for coronavirus.
Dr Kevin O'Connor said Mr Biden experienced a temperature of 37.4ºC on Thursday evening and addressed that with taking Tylenol. He is still experiencing fatigue and a runny nose, as well as coughing.
"His symptoms have improved," the doctor noted.
Mr Biden completed his first day of Paxlovid, Pfizer's Covid-19 antiviral treatment, and "is tolerating treatment well," Dr O'Conner wrote. "We will continue Paxlovid as planned."
The White House faced questions and criticism over why Mr Biden was not wearing a face mask while symptomatic around photographers and videographers on Thursday, hours after his positive test result.
The White House on Friday tweeted a photo of him on the phone with a black KN95 mask on.
"President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team," the tweet read.
Mr Biden is the second US president to test positive for Covid-19, after his predecessor Donald Trump was hospitalised for three days in October 2020. Mr Biden has been vaccinated and boosted.
His positive test result came after a busy week of travel in the Middle East and the US with relaxed coronavirus mitigation measures and less wearing of masks, while Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it "doesn't matter" where he got infected.
Ms Jean-Pierre was expected to hold a briefing on Friday afternoon.
