Dr. Jill Biden's office announced on Tuesday that the First Lady tested positive for COVID after previously testing negative in previous regular screenings.
"After testing negative for COVID-19 on Monday during her regular testing cadence, the First Lady began to develop cold-like symptoms late in the evening," Elizabeth Alexander, Jill Biden's communications director, explained in a statement. "She tested negative again on a rapid antigen test, but a PCR test came back positive."
KIAWAH ISLAND, South Carolina (AP) — White House: First lady Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has 'mild' symptoms, weeks after president's recovery.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) August 16, 2022
The First Lady's office continued by noting Jill Biden "is double-vaccinated, twice boosted, and only experiencing mild symptoms." That is, Dr. Jill Biden is quadruple vaccinated, yet still got COVID, albeit mildly, in another case that illustrates why the CDC recently changed its guidance to treat vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans equally.
Jill Biden "has been prescribed a course of Paxlovid and, following CDC guidance, will isolate from others for at least five days," the First Lady's office added. "Close contacts of the First Lady have been notified" and she "is currently staying a a private residence in South Carolina and will return home after she receives two consecutive negative COVID tests."
The First Lady had been on vacation with President Biden — and Hunter Biden — on Kiawah Island in South Carolina since Wednesday, likely making both "close contacts" of the First Lady.
President Biden contracted COVID earlier this year on July 21, then recovered for a few days before testing positive with a rebound case of the virus on July 30 following his treatment that also included Paxlovid.