Former US President Bill Clinton tests positive for COVID-19

Former US President Bill Clinton said he has tested positive for COVID-19, but acknowledged that his symptoms were mild, as he exhorted people to get vaccinated.

It is the latest health scare for Clinton, the 42nd US President, who was hospitalised in October 2021 for a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream.

“I’ve tested positive for Covid. I’ve had mild symptoms, but I’m doing fine overall and keeping myself busy at home,” Clinton tweeted on Wednesday.

“I’m grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, which has kept my case mild, and I urge everyone to do the same, especially as we move into the winter months,” he added. Clinton, 76, has served two presidential terms between 1993-2001.

He also supported his wife Hillary’s unsuccessful presidential campaign against Donald Trump in 2016.

US President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time in July this year, in what was described as a “rebound” infection by his doctor.

In March, former US President Barack Obama also tested positive for the virus.

According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, the US has reported nearly 98.6 million COVID-19 cases and more than a million deaths since the pandemic broke out almost three years ago.