Biden replaces WH doctor, models virus safety tips

President Joe Biden has brought back Dr Kevin O'Connor as his physician, replacing President Donald Trump's doctor with the one who oversaw his care when he was vice president.

The White House confirmed that Dr Sean Conley, the Navy commander who served as the head of the White House Medical Unit under Trump and oversaw his treatment when he was hospitalized with COVID-19, will assume a teaching role at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

O'Connor, a retired Army colonel, was Biden's doctor during his entire tenure as vice president, has remained in the role at Biden's request. He remained Biden's physician while assuming a role on the faculty of George Washington University.

"Given the Biden administration's focus on transparency and accuracy in all sorts of public health measures, but also just the comfort level that President Biden has with his physician, it makes sense that this change is happening right now," said Zeke Miller, an Associated Press White House reporter.

The White House said O'Connor was being commissioned by the president but was not rejoining the military. He is the first non-active duty doctor to serve as physician to the president in almost three decades.

Conley faced intense scrutiny over his lack of transparency during Trump's illness with COVID-19. Then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said at the time that Trump's condition was worse than Conley had let on.

Miller said the Biden and his staff at the White House are putting extra emphasis on following safety guidelines to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"That is stemming from the top. We've President Biden wear a mask in the Oval Office when journalists were nearby him, all the way down to aides who have a lot of them have been teleworking," Miller said. "Every room in the West Wing has sort of a Max COVID capacity, almost like you would see a fire marshal sign on the wall of a theatre. The safe number of people they believe can be in that space during a pandemic in order to keep everybody safe."