'President Harris' trends on Twitter after Joe Biden diagnosed with Covid

As the White House announced President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with Covid, some trolls quickly began imagining a world where Vice President Kamala Harris became president.

On Thursday, Biden, 79, was confirmed to have Covid and is experiencing "very mild symptoms" which include a runny nose, dry cough, and some fatigue according to Biden's physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor.

While many sent well wishes and a speedy recovery to the president, some began theorizing what a United States under Harris would look like.

Disparaging tweets about "President Harris" rolled in from right-wing tweeters who speculated the president's age may put him at increased risk of developing severe symptoms and either dying in office or quitting.

"A vaxxed, triple boosted dementia patient who still managed to get Covid and can't remember whether or not he has cancer is the only thing separating the innocent American public from a President Harris, who may soon have her finger on the nuclear switch. God help us all," wrote one on Twitter.

"Reports are that Joe Biden has COVID. Wishing him a quick recovery. The United States cannot handle one single day with President Harris in office," Nick Adams tweeted.

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But a future featuring a President Harris does not seem likely given Dr. O'Connor's analysis of Biden. The physician noted he prescribed Biden Paxlovid, an anti-viral treatment used to prevent severe disease in at-risk patients.

"The President is fully vaccinated and twice-boosted, so I anticipate he will respond favorably, as most maximally protected patients do." Dr. O'Connor wrote. "Early use of PAXLOVID in this case provides additional protections against severe disease."

Biden was first vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer in January 2021, then boosted in September 2021, and again on March 30, 2022.

In October 2020, former President Donald Trump was diagnosed with Covid at the age of 74. At the time, vaccinations nor anti-viral treatments were widely available leading to concern over the former president's health.

Ultimately Trump was taken to Walter Reed Medical Center to undergo treatment due to poor oxygen-blood levels, although he recovered.

The transparency surrounding his Covid diagnosis came under scrutiny as information over the years has indicated Trump was diagnosed earlier than when he announced and his symptoms were more serious than led others to believe.

The White House announced they will keep the public updated day-by-day with information about the president's illness and recovery.

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