Bill Clinton hospitalized with an infection unrelated to COVID-19

Former President Bill Clinton was admitted to a hospital in Southern California with an infection but is “on the mend,” according to his spokesman.

Clinton, 75, was admitted to the University of California Irvine Medical Center on Tuesday evening for a non-COVID-19-related infection, according to Angel Urea, who released a statement on Thursday.

“He is on the mend, in good spirits, and is extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff who have provided him with excellent care,” Urea said.

In a second statement, Clinton’s spokesman cited doctors Dr. Alpesh Amin and Dr. Lisa Bardack, who said the former president had been “administered IV antibiotics and fluids.”

“His white blood cell count is trending down after two days of treatment, and he is responding well to antibiotics,” the doctors said. “The California-based medical team has been in constant contact with the President’s medical team in New York, including his cardiologist.” We’re hoping he’ll be able to return home soon.”

President Joe Biden planned to call Clinton on Friday, according to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

“The president extends his warmest congratulations to President Clinton,” she said.

Clinton has faced health concerns in the years since leaving the White House in 2001. After experiencing prolonged chest pains and shortness of breath, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. In 2005, he returned to the hospital for surgery on a partially collapsed lung, and in 2010, he had a pair of coronary stents implanted.

He responded by adopting a mostly vegan diet, which resulted in him losing weight and reporting improved health.

He returned to the campaign trail several times, mostly for Democratic candidates, most notably his wife, Hillary Clinton, during her failed presidential bid in 2008. And, in 2016, as Hillary Clinton ran for President as the Democratic nominee, Bill Clinton — now a grandfather and approaching 70 — returned to the campaign trail.

The former president was in the Los Angeles area for private events related to his charitable organization, according to a spokesman for the Clinton Foundation. The University of California, Irvine Medical Center is located in Orange County, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.