Biden is healthy, fit for service, said the president’s doctor after a routine physical

WASHINGTON – Despite testing positive for the coronavirus twice last year, President Joe Biden has no long-term symptoms and has been declared “healthy, vigorous” and “fit” to serve in the White House, according to a routine physical. held on Thursday.

The findings were outlined in a memo from Biden’s physician, which summarizes examinations performed during a three-hour stay at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

The findings of Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s personal physician since 2009, are likely to be scrutinized as the oldest president in history plans for an expected re-election campaign.

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In a five-page memo, O’Connor concluded that Biden “remains a healthy, energetic 80-year-old capable of successfully serving as president.” But the doctor didn’t speculate about where Biden’s health might be at age 86, when his second term might end.

The president had a tumor removed from his chest, which is undergoing a traditional biopsy. But Thursday’s results largely matched findings from the president’s last November 2021 check-up, which said his cough was caused by acid reflux and his stiff gait was the result of spinal arthritis, a previously broken foot and neuropathy in his legs.

The memo called Biden’s health generally “stable” from his last exam, though it noted that his calves and hamstrings may have tightened.

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Biden tested positive for COVID-19 in July and had “very mild symptoms,” according to the White House. He also had a recurrent infection and ended up testing negative on August 6 last year. The president continued to work even as he isolated himself in the White House.

“Well, things really went well,” Biden told NBC News Thursday of the exam ahead of the memo’s release.

Many people, including Democrats, have expressed doubts that Biden will run for a second term in 2024. Only 37% of Democrats think Biden should seek re-election, up from 52% before the November election, according to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center poll. for public relations research. Overall, 22% of American adults said he should run again.

READ MORE: Biden in 2024? Most Democrats Say No: AP-NORC Poll

Subsequent interviews with people who participated in the survey indicated that Biden’s age was a major concern. They noted his cough, a greater sense of frailty when walking, and moments when he misspoke.

In 2021, Biden underwent a colonoscopy, during which a 3mm “benign polyp” was identified and removed. He didn’t have a colonoscopy at Thursday’s checkup.

Asked in a recent PBS interview about his age and ability to be president, Biden responded with what has become his motto: “Look at me. That’s all I can say”.