Franklin Graham urges Christians worldwide to pray for Biden’s recovery from COVID-19
Christians should pray for President Joe Biden's full recovery from COVID-19, evangelist Franklin Graham told his millions of followers on social media, stressing that the Bible instructs believers to pray for those in authority.
“The news reports that President Joe Biden has COVID-19 and is experiencing very mild symptoms,” Graham, who heads Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, wrote on Facebook.
“We need to lift him up in prayer. The Bible instructs us to pray for all those in authority, and that includes whether we agree with their policies and politics or not,” he added.
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The fully vaccinated and twice boosted Biden tested positive on Thursday morning, though the 79-year-old commander-in-chief is experiencing “very mild symptoms,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Biden's staff also tweeted on behalf of the president from his official Twitter account to thank people for their concerns and assure them that he was doing well, despite being COVID-19 positive.
“Folks, I’m doing great. Thanks for your concern. Just called Senator Casey, Congressman Cartwright, and Mayor Cognetti (and my Scranton cousins!) to send my regrets for missing our event today. Keeping busy!” the tweet said.
An update from Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, said Saturday the president was experiencing mild symptoms of sore throat, runny nose, body aches, and loose cough.
“The president continues to tolerate treatment well. We will continue Paxlovid as planned,” the memo said.
Biden’s COVID infection is likely BA5, the variant from which about 80% of the infected people are currently suffering in the United States.
Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under former President Donald Trump, told Fox News, “I knew these vaccines were not going to protect against infection and I think we overplayed the vaccines ...”
She added that vaccines “protect against severe disease and hospitalization” and said that 50% of those who died due to the Omicron variant were older in age and vaccinated.
News of Biden’s positive test comes a couple of days after his administration announced the approval of the latest vaccine against COVID-19, a protein-based product by Novavax.
The Novavax vaccine received approval from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a statement by Biden on Tuesday.
“We now have four safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available to protect Americans against serious illness, hospitalizations and death,” Biden stated.
“I encourage everyone to get their booster if they are eligible. If you’re age 50 or older, or a moderately or severely immunocompromised individual, and haven’t gotten a vaccine shot this year — you should get one right away. It is free, easy, and could save your life.”
A White House official last week told a pool reporter on background that Vice President Kamala Harris tested negative for COVID-19 even though she was with Biden last Tuesday.
Harris tested positive for COVID-19 in April. She was also fully vaccinated and boosted and had an asymptomatic case of COVID-19.
