President Biden on Monday said he is feeling great and hopes to be back to working in-person by the end of the week, following testing positive for COVID-19 last week.
“I’m feeling great. You know, I’ve had two full nights of sleep, all the way through. A matter of fact, my dog had to wake me up this morning,” he told reporters following a virtual meeting at the White House that he called into from the residence.
The president said the first lady, who is not at the White House while Biden is isolating, usually takes the dog out in the morning while he exercises.
“I felt this nuzzle of my dog’s nose against my chest about five minutes or seven,” he said.
Biden’s answers marked the first time he has interacted with the press since testing positive on Thursday.
“I hope I’m back to work in person by the end of this week,” he said. “As you know, I’ve been keeping a full schedule.”
He said he started his day on Monday at 9:30 a.m. and plans to finish it by 6:30 p.m., which aren’t the “same hours” he typically has.
“I’m not keeping the same hours, but I’m meeting all my requirements that come before me and we’re making decisions on a whole range of other topics as well.”
Biden described some of his symptoms, saying that his voice is still “raspy” but adding that all of his tests like temperature and oxygen are “on the button.”
“I’m feeling better every day. I still have this, a little bit of a sore throat and a little bit of a cough. But it’s changing significantly. It’s now up in the upper part of my throat, actually it’s more around my nose than anything else. But they tell me that’s part for the course. And I think I’m on my way to full, total recovery, God willing,” he said.
The president, who is vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, completed his fourth day of the antiviral Paxlovid on Sunday evening.
The president’s physician Kevin O’Connor said Biden’s symptoms are “almost completely resolved” in a memorandum on Monday and that the president only has residual nasal congestion and minimal hoarseness.
During the virtual meeting on Monday, Biden’s voice sounded hoarse, and he coughed a few times.
He was meeting with labor leaders, executives, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and White House Council of Economic Advisers Director Brian Deese to discuss boosting the domestic semiconductor industry.