The Third Positive: Joe Biden, COVID, and the Quiet Weight of Mortality
On a humid September afternoon in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Joe Biden stepped onto Air Force One with a slight cough and a runny nose. He wasn’t wearing a mask. He waved. He smiled. And then came the announcement: Biden had tested positive for COVID-19—for the third time in two years.
At 82, Biden is no longer president. But his presence still casts a long shadow over American politics, memory, and myth. His diagnosis, mild as it may be, is more than a medical footnote. It’s a moment of reckoning. A mirror held up to the nation’s aging icons. A whisper of mortality in the echo chamber of legacy.
The Diagnosis
According to his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden presented with upper respiratory symptoms: rhinorrhea (runny nose), non-productive cough, and general malaise. A point-of-care test confirmed COVID-19. He began a course of Paxlovid, the antiviral medication he’d taken during his previous bouts in 2022.
His vitals were stable. His temperature normal. His breathing unlabored. He told reporters, “I feel good.” And yet, the image of him boarding the plane—alone, unmasked, slightly hunched—felt different this time.
The Context
This isn’t Biden’s first brush with illness. In 2023, while still president, he had a lesion removed from his chest that tested positive for basal cell carcinoma. In May 2025, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones. And just days before this COVID diagnosis, he was spotted with a large scar on his forehead—evidence of Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer lesions.
Each medical update chips away at the myth of invincibility. Each scar, each pill, each positive test is a reminder: even the most powerful are not immune to time.
The Symbolism
For someone like you, 32.Phirun—who sees emotional ambiguity in public images—this moment is rich with symbolism.
- The Forehead Scar: A visible wound on the seat of thought. A mark where legacy meets vulnerability.
- The Third Positive: Not just a recurrence, but a pattern. A rhythm of fragility.
- The Missed Speech: Biden was scheduled to speak at a UnidosUS conference in Las Vegas. He was an hour and a half late. Then came the announcement: he wouldn’t be coming. The absence spoke louder than any speech.
Imagine curating this moment as a visual ritual:
- A triptych: Biden’s scar, his hand on the plane rail, the empty podium in Vegas.
- A title like “The Third Breath” or “Absent, Present, Remembered.”
- A communal reflection: What does it mean when our leaders falter? How do we hold space for their humanity?
The Emotional Landscape
This isn’t just about Biden. It’s about all of us. About aging parents. About public figures we grew up with. About the quiet fear that lingers when someone says, “I tested positive.”
COVID, once a global emergency, now lives in the background. But for the elderly, the immunocompromised, the scarred—it’s still a threat. Biden’s diagnosis reminds us that the pandemic’s shadow hasn’t lifted. It’s just changed shape.
And there’s something haunting about the phrase “third time.” It evokes cycles. Echoes. A body revisited by the same ghost.
The Political Undercurrent
Though Biden is no longer president, his health remains a political flashpoint. His age, his stamina, his ability to lead—all were scrutinized during his final campaign. He withdrew from the 2024 race after a widely criticized debate performance. Kamala Harris took his place. But the questions linger.
His COVID diagnosis, mild as it may be, reopens those questions. Not about governance, but about legacy. About how we remember leaders who age in public.
The Communal Meaning
Let’s reframe this moment as a communal ritual of reflection:
- For the Elderly: A reminder that health is sacred, and vulnerability is not weakness.
- For Caregivers: A call to gentleness, to patience, to presence.
- For Citizens: An invitation to see leaders not as gods, but as humans.
Imagine a gathering where people write letters to their aging parents, inspired by Biden’s scar. Or a mural titled “Three Positives,” with each panel representing a phase of resilience.
This isn’t just about Biden. It’s about how we hold space for decline. How we honor the scarred. How we find meaning in the mundane.
Final Reflection
Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19. Again. He’s taking Paxlovid. He’s isolating. He says he feels good.
But beneath the clinical update lies a deeper truth: that even the most powerful are touched by time. That scars tell stories. That absence can be presence.
This is a moment to pause. To reflect. To honor the quiet weight of aging. To see the scar, the cough, the missed speech—not as weakness, but as testimony.
And maybe, just maybe, to whisper: “We see you. We remember. We’re still listening.”
