Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and is currently showing only minor symptoms, according to a statement from the US central bank.
The Fed stated that Powell, who will turn 70 the next month, is up to date on his COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters and is working remotely while isolating himself at home.
The U.S. central bank will hold its next policy meeting on January 31 and February 1. Investors anticipate that the Fed will raise interest rates by a quarter-point at that meeting.
Jerome Powell COVID-19 Diagnosis
After the Fed’s statement on Powell’s COVID-19 infection, the financial markets reacted insignificantly. Typically, the Fed chairman prepares for policy meetings through a combination of in-person and virtual interactions.
Since resuming in-person policy-setting sessions in March 2022, the Fed’s rate-setting panel has accommodated members’ participation by video conference as appropriate, using a big screen in its meeting room in Washington.
Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are advised by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to isolate themselves at home for five days, then resume normal activities while continuing to wear a high-quality mask around others for an additional 10 days if their symptoms are mild or improving and there is no fever.
This schedule would provide Powell to leave isolation prior to the next Fed policy meeting.
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, reported in April 2012 that she had tested positive for COVID-19 one week prior to an ECB policy meeting.
She suffered from moderate symptoms and also worked remotely. Lagarde joined her news conference at that meeting via video link from her home, as she was still infected with the virus.
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COVID-19 Cases In US
Approximately 26,000 instances of COVID-19 in children were reported in the United States during the week ending January 12, according to the most recent report from the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association. This is a decrease compared to the previous week, but the report indicates that the undercount likely grew around the holidays and in 2023.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, about 15.3 million American children have tested positive for COVID-19. More than 140,000 of these cases have been added over the past four weeks.
The number of COVID-19 cases reported among children is likely substantially underreported. According to the survey, holiday periods also see an increase in data reporting reductions or delays.
According to the paper, there is a need to collect additional age-specific data in order to evaluate the severity of sickness caused by novel variations and their possible long-term implications.
Importantly, we must identify and address the long-term implications on the physical, mental, and social well-being of this generation of children and adolescents, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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