Biden ‘doing just fine’ with a sore throat while close contacts remain COVID-free: WH

President Biden’s current “predominant” COVID-19 symptom is a sore throat, and he is using an asthma inhaler for his cough, his doctor said Sunday.

The president, who contracted the uber-contagious BA.5 variant, “completed his third day of Paxlovid last night,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote in a letter released by the White House, referring to the anti-viral drug treatment.

“His symptoms continue to improve significantly.

“His [runny nose], cough and body aches have diminished considerably,” O’Connor said. “His voice remains deep. … His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air.

“His symptoms will continue to be treated supportively with oral hydration, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and the albuterol inhaler that he uses as needed for occasional cough,” the doctor added. “He is experiencing no shortness of breath at all. He will continue low dose aspirin as an alternative type of blood thinner.”

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s coronavirus coordination czar, also said Sunday that none of the 17 people who came in close contact with Biden have contracted the virus.

“As of late yesterday, again 17 is the number that we are tracking at the White House medical unit, none of them have tested positive as of late yesterday,” Jha said on ABC’s “This Week.” “Obviously, all of them have been contacted, and they’re following CDC protocols, and we’ll continue to follow them.”

Biden is “doing just fine,” Jha added.

“Thank goodness, our vaccines and therapeutics work well against it, which is why I think the president’s doing well.

“I checked in with his team late last night. He was feeling well. He had a good day yesterday. He’s got a viral syndrome, an upper respiratory infection, that is, and he’s doing just fine.”

​The highly transmissible BA.5 variant was responsible for 80% of ​new coronavirus cases recorded in the country last week. ​

Biden, 79, tested positive for the deadly disease Thursday ​after a speech about climate change in Massachusetts. 

The president, who has been ​vaccinated and twice boosted, has been isolating in the White House. ​

Jha was asked by ABC host Jonathan Karl why the president’s doctor hasn’t spoken to the public on camera. 

“Every single day, Dr. O’Connor puts out his statement … his words about his assessment of the president,” Jha said. 

But Karl said the media hasn’t had a chance to question O’Connor about the president’s condition. 

“We have a team of people who are involved. ​Dr. O’Connor and I are speaking multiple times a day — you see Dr. Fauci — we are being very transparent,” he said.

“The president has a mild respiratory illness as of right now, and in that context, we are making all of that information widely available every day to the American people,” he said.  ​