Despite negative test, Biden ‘not out of the woods yet’ for coronavirus, expert says

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 951 in Grand Rapids, Mich., Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Oct 2, 2020 / 01:45 PM PDT

Updated: Oct 2, 2020 / 01:45 PM PDT

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife have both tested negative for the coronavirus, but some public health specialists, including a UC Berkeley infectious disease expert, say it could be days before they can be assured they not infected.

“Biden is not out of the woods yet,” said Dr. John Swartzberg of UC Berkeley on Friday.

“If he was infected on Tuesday [during the debate] you wouldn’t expect him to be positive today… I am more interested in how he tests tomorrow and Sunday and Monday,” Swartzberg said. “That is when we are really want to look at the test.”

About 50% of people infected with the coronavirus never develop symptoms of COVID-19 but still are contagious, he said. Trump and his wife definitely have COVID-19 because they are both suffering symptoms, he added.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.