Biden's COVID is note of caution

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

•••

We don't get to decide when the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Instead, nature and an ever-evolving virus dictate when that endpoint will finally arrive.

That the pathogen, not people, calls the shots has been said repeatedly since the pandemic's beginning by Minnesota infectious-disease expert Michael Osterholm, a former state epidemiologist who now leads the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

On Thursday, news from the White House drove home Osterholm's observation. President Joe Biden, 79, has tested positive. Fortunately, Biden is fully vaccinated and boosted twice. He's also taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug that can be close to 90% effective in preventing severe illness if given within five days of symptom onset.

So far, the president's illness is mild. His doctor reports that Biden has a runny nose and "fatigue, with an occasional dry cough" that started Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat, also announced this week that she has COVID. Like Biden, she is vaccinated, boosted and "experiencing mild symptoms."

The two high-profile cases serve as a timely reminder that highly transmissible COVID variants continue to emerge and circumnavigate the globe with frightening ease. The pathogen even eluded the White House's defenses, as it did when Donald Trump was in office. While this is discouraging, perspective is essential.

Unlike during the pandemic's early months, we're now in a much better position to protect family, friends and our communities. By now, everyone should understand COVID's airborne spread. N95 masks, which provide robust protection against breathing in the virus, are widely available. And while they're no longer required in most places, putting one on voluntarily, particularly in high-risk settings such as crowded indoor spaces, makes a lot of sense.

At-home test kits are also widely accessible. These may even be available at no cost through a federal program that ships them directly to American homes (to sign up, go to special.usps.com/testkits). In addition, health insurers may make no-cost tests available to plan holders. There's more info at this link — tinyurl.com/26uuv3ac — but many pharmacies offer advice on accessing this benefit.

Paxlovid, the antiviral medication prescribed for Biden, is another critical addition to the arsenal against COVID. The drug is authorized for use in ages 12 and up and is recommended for those at high risk of severe COVID, such as the elderly or those with underlying health conditions. It's available through most medical providers. Five of Minnesota's community testing sites offer no-cost Paxlovid prescriptions, which can be filled on the spot, to those eligible for this treatment. The five sites: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, St. Paul Midway, Brooklyn Park, Duluth and Moorhead.

The vaccine remains the most potent weapon, guarding against severe disease if you're infected with COVID. Boosters are vital, particularly for the elderly, yet the state has work to do on that front. Just 33% of Minnesotans ages 5 and up are considered to have "up-to-date vaccine doses," meaning they've received all doses of the COVID vaccine for which they're eligible. The percentage rises to 51% for those 65 and older, but that's still not ideal.

Nationally, COVID cases have risen 18% over the past 14 days — though perhaps more given the ubiquity of at-home test results that aren't reported — with hospitalizations up 19% in the same period, according to the New York Times COVID tracker. Biden's case urgently signals that both caution and action remain critical.

This isn't over.