ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended good wishes to US President Joe Biden for his “swift and complete” recovery after he tested positive for Covid-19. President Biden has entered isolation, impacting his campaign trail activities.
In a post on the X platform on Thursday morning, PM Shehbaz Sharif wrote: “Wishing President Biden a swift and complete recovery from Covid. Good wishes.”
Earlier, President Biden tested positive for Covid with mild symptoms on Wednesday, shortly after acknowledging that he might reconsider his re-election bid if diagnosed with a serious medical condition.
The 81-year-old Democrat reassured reporters with a thumbs-up and expressed that he felt good as he left a trip to Las Vegas early to isolate at his beach home in Delaware. This period of isolation will sideline him from the campaign trail temporarily.
On X, Biden thanked his well-wishers, stating, “I will be isolating as I recover, and during this time I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people.”
This infection arrives at a pivotal moment in Biden’s campaign, especially following a challenging debate against Donald Trump that raised concerns about his health and prompted some Democrats to suggest he step aside.
In a dramatic turn of events, this incident followed shortly after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally.
Biden had to cancel a speech to a union representing Latino workers—a key group for his election strategy—after attending an earlier campaign event and participating in a radio interview.
His spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, mentioned that Biden, who is vaccinated and boosted, is taking the Covid medication Paxlovid and “continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
White House doctor Kevin O’Connor noted Biden had mild symptoms like a runny nose, cough, and “general malaise.” After the campaign event, Biden tested positive but remained in good spirits, maintaining normal respiratory rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels.
Seen walking from his limousine to his plane in Las Vegas without a mask, Biden responded to how he felt with a simple, “I feel good.”
Janet Murguia, president of the Unidos union for Latino workers, informed the crowd of Biden’s diagnosis just before the official White House announcement.
