new Delhi: Former US President Barack Obama has tested positive for COVID-19, with PM Narendra Modi wishing him a speedy recovery on Monday.
Sharing an update on his COVID testing, Obama urged fellow Americans to get vaccinated, even as the deadly disease appears to be taking over the country.
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Barack Obama took to Twitter and wrote, “I have just tested positive for COVID. I have a sore throat for a few days now, but I feel fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful for the vaccination and promotion and he has tested negative.”
“It’s a good reminder that, as cases go down, you should be vaccinated and promoted, if you haven’t already, to help prevent more severe symptoms and pass on COVID to others,” he said. said.
I have just tested positive for COVID. I’ve had a sore throat for a few days now, but I’m feeling fine. Michelle and I are grateful to have been vaccinated and promoted, and she has tested negative.
This is a reminder if you haven’t already been vaccinated, even if cases are low.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) 13 March 2022
Extending best wishes for Obama’s health, PM Narendra Modi tweeted: “My best wishes to @BarackObama for your speedy recovery from COVID-19, and your family’s good health and well being.”
my best wishes @Barack Obama For your speedy recovery from COVID-19, and for the good health and well being of your family. https://t.co/mCrUvXlsAp
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 14 March 2022
The diagnosis makes Obama the second US president known to have contracted the virus. In October 2020, then-President Donald Trump announced that he had tested positive, which was before the vaccine was widely available in the US.
Notably, Obama’s appeal to vaccinate comes as some demographics in the US, such as Republicans, continue to be hesitant about COVID vaccines.
Currently, only 2% of the US population lives in counties with “high” COVID-19 community levels, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The rest are at the “low” or “moderate” community level, areas where masking is not recommended or where immunocompromised people and those at high risk of serious illness, respectively, are advised to take extra precautions against COVID-19 .
According to data provided by Johns Hopkins University, a total of 79,517,492 coronavirus cases have been reported in the US and 967,552 people have died.