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Former President Barack Obama has tested positive for Covid-19, he said in a statement on Sunday, adding that he is feeling “fine” aside from a “scratchy throat.”
“I just tested positive for Covid,” he said. “I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has tested negative, according to the statement. “Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,” Obama said, adding, “It’s a good reminder that, even as cases go down, you should get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already to help prevent more serious symptoms and giving Covid to others.”
The former president tested positive in Washington, D.C., after spending some of the winter in Hawaii, a person close to him told CNN.While Covid cases in the U.S. have dropped significantly since the peak of the Omicron wave, the nation is still seeing an average of more than 1,000 deaths per day caused by the virus.
That vaccinated individuals like Obama have tested positive with only mild symptoms is a testament to the efficacy of vaccines. The two mRNA vaccines that were fully approved by the FDA and recommended by CDC, Pfizer and Moderna, have been highly effective at preventing serious disease and hospitalizations among individuals who aren’t immunocompromised, even amid the Omicron wave. That means that for many vaccinated people like Obama, a bout of Covid is likely to be mild and manageable rather than severe and life-threatening.
