President Biden kissed each and every one of them.
The nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was bestowed on 16 Americans, some in their 80s or 90s. The president kissed three of them on the cheek after reaching around to hang the medal on their neck.
It's highly unlikely that Mr. Biden got sick from the coronaviruses during that event. The fact that the celebration happened at all shows how much the White House has lost in its efforts to protect the president from a disease that has killed more than one million Americans.
Mr. Biden was a president in a bubble in the early days of his presidency. He didn't travel a lot. He didn't hold many in-person meetings. Most of the ceremonial trappings of the office, like the medal ceremony, were canceled or put off.
Mr. Biden has loosened up in the last few months. The president and his aides have been protected by multiple doses of the vaccine and are now living with the coronaviruses.
Andy Slavitt, who advised the White House on its policies, said that no matter what you do, it can't be put off forever.
According to Mr. Slavitt, Covid-19 has become a disease that is more severe than a common cold. It's a lot more difficult for people to adjust to.
There was no question that Mr. Biden would contract the disease. The vice president, his deputy chief of staff, his press secretary, several cabinet members, as well as the attorney general, already had people around him.
Mr. Biden's doctor said his symptoms had gotten better. According to a letter released on Friday, the president had a temperature of 99.4 degrees on Thursday night. He wrote that Mr. Biden was tired and had a cough.
Dr. O'Connor said that his voice was deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and Oxygen saturation are all normal.
The deeper tone in Mr. Biden's voice could be seen on Friday when he participated by video in a gas price report. During his speech, Mr. Biden coughed and cleared his throat.
The White House did not consider Mr. Biden's temperature of 99.4 on Thursday to be a low-grade fever. He said that he was unaware of Mr. Biden's temperature. According to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person is considered to have a high temperature if they feel warm to touch.
In his letter, Dr. O'Connor said that he didn't think the president's temperature was normal until after Mr. Biden took a pill. Dr. Jha said that it was normal for doctors to report the highest temperature of their patients even if it wasn't a high temperature.
According to Dr. O'Connor, he had a temperature of 99.4F which responded favorably to the drug. Since that time, his temperature has not changed.
Dr. O'Connor didn't prescribe the medication for the temperature but for Mr. Biden's "discomfort." The president was uncomfortable, but Dr. Jha wouldn't say what it was. Officials have said that he does not have a sore throat or a headaches and that he does not have any other pains.
The White House tried to show that Mr. Biden's work life was unaffected by his diagnosis.
The president worked at a desk in the White House residence. He can be seen on the phone. He is signing a law that will allow people to get more access to baby formula.
Voters elected Mr. Biden because he convinced them that he could bring the country back to normal.
In the last 18 months, Mr. Biden has accomplished a lot of his goals. Stores, bars, sporting venues and schools have reopened because of the availability of vaccine and treatments. There are not many mask mandates left.
During a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia last week, Mr. Biden shook the hand of many world leaders. He rides in the motorcade and flies on Air Force One to hold political events. There are in-person events at the White House every week.
The epidemic is still going strong.
Most of the country is now classified as areas with high community transmission according to the C.D.C. Doctors say the vaccines are still effective at preventing hospitalization and death despite the fact that the latest Omicron subvariant is much more contagious.
Mr. Biden has to walk a careful line, showing that he is just as eager to be done with Covid-19 as everyone else, even as he keeps an eye on the possibility that the Pandemic could come roaring back.
On Friday, the White House used the president's diagnosis as a case study for why Americans should get vaccinations.
When the president took office, about 400 Covid-19 deaths per da y was unacceptable and we are in a better place now. He warned of a grim warning.
He said that the virus would be with them forever.
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