Joe Biden coughed intermittently through a virtual White House meeting, a day after he tested positive for COVID.
Mr Biden, who at 79 is the oldest person to serve as US president, appeared in good spirits but had a noticeably deeper voice and apologized for repeatedly breaking up his speech to cough.
“I feel a lot better than I look,” the president said, as he described recent efforts to lower gasoline prices in the United States.
It came after Chinese President Xi Jinping wished his American counterpart a speedy recovery in an official message.
Earlier on Friday, the White House physician had released a statement saying Mr. Biden’s symptoms had improved.
The letter, released by doctor Kevin O’Connor, said Mr Biden had a slight temperature of 37.4C (99.4F) but was responding “favorably” to painkillers and was breathing normally.
“Her voice is deeper this morning. Her pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain normal, on room air,” he said.
The doctor, who the White House says is seeing Mr. Biden and checking his “vital signs, several times a day,” added that the two medications he takes for atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rate) and the cholesterol were temporarily withheld to avoid interfering. with his course of treatment of an antiviral drug to help fight COVID.
He said low-dose aspirin was also being added as an alternative anticoagulant.
“The president is tolerating the treatment well,” he said.
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Image: Dr Ashish Jha
The White House’s COVID-19 coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, said Biden was doing well and that his mild symptoms were basically the same: runny nose, fatigue and occasional dry cough.
He added: “The president is better. He slept well last night. He ate his breakfast and lunch, completely. He actually showed me his plate.”
The president, who is fully vaccinated and two boosters, tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, when the White House said he would continue to work but in isolation.
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His diagnosis comes as a highly contagious subvariant is driving a new wave of cases in the US and new figures released on Friday show UK infections have risen again to almost 3.8 million.
Cases of COVID in the United States have increased by more than 25% in the past month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the new BA.5 Omicron subvariant approaches there and around the world.