Hillary Clinton says she has tested positive for COVID-19
Hillary Clinton has tested positive for COVID-19, she tweeted Tuesday. The 74-year-old former secretary of state said that she is experiencing "some mild cold symptoms" but said she is "feeling fine."
"I'm more grateful than ever for the protection vaccines can provide against serious illness," Clinton added. "Please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven't already!"
Well, I've tested positive for COVID. I've got some mild cold symptoms but am feeling fine. I'm more grateful than ever for the protection vaccines can provide against serious illness. Please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven't already!
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 22, 2022
Clinton said that her husband, former President Bill Clinton, 75, has tested negative, adding that he will quarantine "until our household is fully in the clear."
Clinton is the latest of several political figures to have recently tested positive for the virus. Last week, former President Barack Obama announced that he had tested positive as well. He said at the time that he was "feeling fine" other than a scratchy throat.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced a positive test. In a statement, Psaki said she had two "socially-distanced" meetings with President Biden one day earlier, but said he is not considered a close contact based on CDC guidelines. Mr. Biden tested negative on Tuesday, Psaki said. This is the press secretary's second bout with COVID-19, having announced a positive test back in October 2021.
COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have fallen sharply over the past two months as the surge caused by the Omicron variant appears to have ebbed. But cases are rising again in the U.K., thanks in part to the Omicron subvariant BA.2.
However, former FDA commissioner and current Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that he doesn't expect a "big wave" of new infections in the U.S., even as mask mandates and other restrictions meant to help slow the spread of the virus continue to be dropped throughout the country.
"We have nine cases per 100,000 people per day. Those are levels that we haven't seen since last June," Gottlieb said. "There are about 20,000 people thousand currently hospitalized. And I think we're going to continue to see low levels of infection through the summer. But before we get there, we're probably going to see some tick-up of infection like the Europeans are seeing right now, maybe not as pronounced."