Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19
First lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, her spokesperson revealed Tuesday.
"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," said communications director Elizabeth Alexander in a statement. "She tested negative again on a rapid antigen test, but a PCR test came back positive."
The first lady, 71, is double vaccinated and double boosted, and is taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, CNN reports. This is her first time contracting the coronavirus.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mrs. Biden is "feeling good," a source close to the first lady told CNN, and is experiencing "common cold-like symptoms." She will stay in Kiawah Island, South Carolina — where she was vacationing with her husband, President Biden, and their family — until she receives "two consecutive negative COVID tests," Alexander said.
President Biden, who only recently recovered from back-to-back rounds of the virus, has continued to test negative. He will follow the appropriate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance as a close contact of his wife's, and will undergo increased testing as a result, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Twitter, per CNN.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Did Cop30 fulfil its promise to Indigenous Brazilians?Today’s Big Question Brazilian president approves 10 new protected territories, following ‘unprecedented’ Indigenous presence at conference, both as delegates and protesters
-
The best Christmas theatre shows across the UKThe Week Recommends Tip-top festive ballets, plays and comedies to book up now
-
Crossword: November 20, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
-
Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein filesSpeed Read The Justice Department will release all files from its Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation
-
Trump says he will sell F-35 jets to Saudi ArabiaSpeed Read The president plans to make several deals with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week
-
Judge blasts ‘profound’ errors in Comey caseSpeed Read ‘Government misconduct’ may necessitate dismissing the charges against the former FBI director altogether
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
-
Trump pivots on Epstein vote amid GOP defectionsSpeed Read The president said House Republicans should vote on a forced release of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
