Joe Biden was seen walking gingerly down the steps of Air Force One last night after revealing he had Covid and being yanked off the campaign trail.
The image of the hobbling president then being helped into a car has raised further questions about his health – as pressure mounts for him to stand down.
Now, doctors are warning that, at 81, Biden is among the age groups at the highest risk of debilitating and lingering symptoms from the virus, including brain fog, fatigue and muscle aches that make moving difficult, perhaps explaining his stiffer-than-usual gait last night.
They told DailyMail.com they expect Biden to make a full recovery, thanks to the fact he’s relatively slim, he exercises, has natural immunity from previous infections, has been vaccinated multiple times and is taking the Covid drug Paxlovid.
But doctors worry his advanced age, myriad of underlying health conditions – an irregular heartbeat, a history of aneurysm – and current medications that include blood thinners mean it could take the president weeks, if not months to get better.
Doctors told DailyMail.com President Biden’s condition is worrying, though the odds of it becoming fatal are low.
But the risk of dying of Covid is compounded with age. CDC data shows that, as of October 2022, the latest data available, the death rate among adults 85 and up was more than 2.8 times higher than the rate for adults aged 75 to 84, and seven times higher than the rate for adults aged 65 to 74.
A staggering 90 percent of Covid deaths in 2023 occurred in seniors aged 65 and up.
But the overall risk of death has plummeted as the pandemic has worn on. For instance, there were only 259 deaths in the week ending June 29.
That compares to 3,000 to 15,000 the summer of 2021.
Still, Dr Ernst Von Schwarz, a leading cardiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Biden’s doctors should advise him to ‘take it easy,’ which could necessitate dropping out of the contest.
Dr Von Schwarz told DailyMail.com Covid, for elderly people, was still nasty. ‘It can knock you down. And it’s not only affecting the lungs,’ he said.
‘It’s a systemic inflammatory response, as a result of the virus infection, meaning it can affect the heart, it can affect the brain, it can affect the blood vessels.’
This can translate to slower thinking, difficulty walking normally, and difficulty concentrating, all of which Biden was accused of struggling with before being diagnosed.
Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘I would tell any patient, of course, especially those with a considered high risk, take it easy.
‘You need a lot of rest, a lot of hydration. And President Biden’s case, he is on certain medications, which he has to address or even stopped because he’s obviously getting Paxlovid right now.’
Biden has several health markers that work in his favor, though. He’s relatively slim with a body mass index (BMI) of 24.1, which falls within what is considered a normal weight range. He also exercises around five days a week.
Mr Biden is also receiving the best medical care in the world, including the drug Paxlovid, and has received several booster shots over the years.
It’s also possible that his previous Covid infection will have caused the body to create antibodies that recognize and fight the virus if it strikes again. Biden’s first – and only other – bout of Covid came two years ago, in July 2022
Researchers in Oregon reported that most adults have antibodies more than 12 months after getting Covid and previous infection offers strong, lasting protection against reinfection.
Biden and his team have also said he is vaccinated and boosted. His most recent Covid vaccine was in September 2023.
But new strains and mutations of the virus appear to evade immune or vaccine protection.
But previous infections and shots can still turn Covid ‘from wild into mild,’ according to Dr William Schaffner a preeminent expert in infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr Schaffner added that any lingering Covid symptoms such as brain fog and trouble concentrating ‘would be front of the mind for any healthcare provider taking care of anyone aged 65 and older.
Those are things that would lead to recommendations by the healthcare provider about how long the patient needs to recover and those kinds of things.’
And when asked about whether he is concerned about this infection’s impact on Biden’s cognition, whether he will experience brain fog, and mobility issues, Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘All of the above.’
He added: ‘He has underlying cardiovascular disease and he is of advanced age. So these are two significant risk factors. And they in general, especially the age is the number one determinant of worse outcomes for any disease.
‘It’s the same, like if you have a heavy flu, you feel under the weather, you feel sluggish, weak. People have, like you mentioned brain fog. Will it affect your ability to work? Absolutely. Can you stand up for many hours or stay up the whole night? Absolutely not.’
Few issues matter more to voters than Mr Biden’s advanced age and whether he has the mental fortitude and physical stamina to prevent a second Trump term. Many are now urging him to consider dropping out of the race.
He traveled to his home in Delaware to isolate and recover, while still carrying out his daily duties as president.
But a week away may not be sufficient to get Mr Biden back in campaigning shape, doctors said.
Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘The problem is if people don’t fully recover from that, and their immune system is somewhat weakened, that just opens the doors for subsequent infections or complications.
‘So if I have someone at his age and his overall physical condition, with his underlying cardiovascular issues, I will tell them, you take it easy, you cannot travel, you shouldn’t work, you should really rest a lot. Make sure you get appropriate nutrition. And just take it easy for at least 10, 14 days, if not longer.’
Mr Biden has said the only reason he would drop out of the race would be a formal recommendation from his doctor. Dr Schaffner said the decision would be made based on a host of issues but likely wouldn’t be the result of his Covid infection.
According to Mr Biden’s doctors, he does not have a fever and his respiratory rate is normal, as are his vital signs.
His symptoms included a runny nose, nonproductive cough and ‘general malaise,’ the statement said.
So far, his medical team has not offered any information to the public that suggests he has become incapacitated and should rethink plans to stay in the White House.
But according to Dr Von Schwarz, this diagnosis could be ‘a blessing in a way that might give them a way out if you want out of that race.’
It’s possible the president’s doctors would want to abstain from wading into politics, particular this red-hot issue, and choose not to make a formal recommendation based on his Covid diagnosis.
But it’s also possible that they would give him more lenient recommendations given his job – telling him he’s perfectly safe to attend a campaign event after a week of isolation, for instance.
Dr Von Schwarz said: ‘The number one goal should be of course, taking care of your patients rather than any political agenda, meaning, in other words, I think his personal doctors should tell him take it easy, man.
‘I mean, you’re not young, you have underlying conditions. And any infection can be a problem, not only in the short term.
‘So I think the number one goal should be for any healthcare provider who takes care for the President to give him the advice they would give anyone else in that situation, which should be really take it easy and take a rest and step back a little bit.’