PM Shehbaz Sharif wishes President Biden prompt recovery from Covid

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday extended good wishes to US President Joe Biden for his “swift and complete” recovery after he tested positive for COVID-19.

“Wishing President Biden swift and complete recovery from COVID. Good wishes,” the prime minister wrote on his X timeline.

President Biden’s Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a statement, said that the president tested positive for COVID-19 following his first event in Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to address a crucial electioneering event ahead of the presidential poll due in November.

The president, who is vaccinated and boosted, is experiencing mild symptoms. He will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time, the press secretary added.

“His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth,” according to a note by President Biden’s doctor issued by the White House.

The infection comes at a critical moment for Biden’s campaign, with the president seeking to show he is up to the job after a disastrous debate performance against rival Donald Trump sparked concerns about his health and calls from some Democrats for him to step aside.

It is also the latest development in a tumultuous few days in an already frenetic White House race that saw Trump survive an assassination attempt at a campaign rally.

Biden was forced to cancel a speech to a union representing Latino workers who will be crucial for his election bid, having attended a campaign event earlier in the day and given a radio interview.

His spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was vaccinated and boosted, was now taking the Covid medication Paxlovid and “continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”