Former President Barack Obama said on Sunday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus but said the infection isn’t serious. Obama said he’s feeling relatively healthy and his wife, Michelle, tested negative.
Obama encouraged more Americans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, despite the declining infection rate in the U.S.
“I just tested positive for COVID,” the 44th president wrote on social media Sunday. “I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple of days, but am feeling fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative.”
“It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down.”
Obama was first vaccinated in May 2021 after former President Donald Trump’s successful “Operation Warp Speed” helped develop and distribute the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.
Trump has also been vaccinated after he was hospitalized from a severe COVID infection in the fall of 2020. Trump has repeatedly encouraged his supporters to do the same and said that anyone hesitant to follow his lead should talk about their concerns with their doctor.
“Look, the results of the vaccine are very good, and if you do get [COVID], it’s a very minor form,” Trump said in December. “If you take the vaccine, you are protected.”
There were roughly 35,000 infections on average over the past week, down sharply from mid-January when that average was closer to 800,000.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 75.2% of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated and 47.7% of the fully vaccinated have received a booster shot.
The CDC relaxed its guidelines for indoor masking in late February, taking a more holistic approach that meant the vast majority of Americans live in areas without the recommendation for indoor masking in public.
I just tested positive for COVID. I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative.
It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 13, 2022
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The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article