WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Former President Barack Obama announced he tested positive for COVID-19, according to a tweet.
Obama said he had a scratchy throat for a couple of days but is "feeling fine otherwise."
Both Barack and Michelle Obama are vaccinated and boosted, he said in the tweet. And the former First Lady tested negative for the virus.
"It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down," Obama said in the tweet.
Just one year ago, Obama was among four former presidents urging Americans to get vaccinated as soon as COVID-19 doses were available.
According to a report from CNN, Obama recently returned to Washington, D.C., after spending a lot of the winter in Hawaii.
More recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a lower risk of severe illness, hospitalizations and death from COVID-19. The CDC credits this point in the pandemic to high vaccination and testing levels, treatments and the population's increased immunity through vaccines or previous infection.
"While low community risk is welcome news, we know that low risk does not mean no risk," the CDC said in a weekly COVID report.
