Clarence Thomas: US Supreme Court Justice in hospital with flu-like symptoms

Longest serving current justice being treated with intravenous antibiotics at the Sibley Memorial Hospital

Justice Clarence Thomas is said to be responding well to treatment. AFP

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was admitted to a hospital in Washington on Friday after experiencing flu-like symptoms and was diagnosed with an infection, the top court said.

Mr Thomas, 73, was being treated with intravenous antibiotics, his symptoms were abating and he expected to be released from the Sibley Memorial Hospital in a day or two, the court said.

The Supreme Court, which is set to be in session on Monday, said that Mr Thomas would take part in the consideration and discussion of cases through briefs, transcripts and audio of the oral arguments.

A court representative said this year that all nine justices were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and had received booster doses.

A conservative and one of two black men to have served on the Supreme Court, Mr Thomas is the longest-serving of the current justices.

He was nominated by President George HW Bush in 1991 after the retirement of liberal justice Thurgood Marshall, the first black justice on the court.

Also on Monday, hearings will begin for federal appellate judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's nominee, to become the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.