US Surgeon General Says He Tested Positive for COVID-19

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on July 15, 2021. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced Friday that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Murthy, who is fully vaccinated, said that his wife and 4-year-old son also tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and developed mild symptoms. Previously, he announced his 5-year-old daughter contracted the virus and is now recovering.

“Update: my 5 year old son, my wife Alice, and I have all tested positive for COVID-19. Our son has a runny nose and low grade fever but is otherwise eating, drinking, playing with his sister, and watching his favorite cartoons,” Murthy wrote. “My four year old daughter who tested positive first is doing ok. Fevers are starting to improve. She’s still congested and is now hoarse from all the coughing, but thankfully she’s still smiling and enjoying her arts and crafts.”

Murthy, who confirmed his symptoms are “mild,” also wrote that “when you’ve been as safe as you can, getting COVID-19 can be frustrating and disappointing. I’ve felt that. It can also be a source of shame. Many people assume you must have been careless to get sick. Our safety measures reduce risk but they can’t eliminate risk. Nothing can.”

As numerous studies have shown the COVID-19 Omicron variant is highly infectious and easily infects vaccinated individuals, it’s not clear why he suggested that one would feel shame for contracting a highly contagious virus.

Murthy, who previously mounted a defense of the Biden administration’s controversial vaccine mandate for private businesses with 100 or more workers, recommended on Friday that people get the vaccine and a booster if eligible.

His positive COVID-19 test comes as a number of Democrat-led states and municipalities have started to rescind vaccine or mask mandates. In the past week, authorities in Washington and Philadelphia announced they would end their vaccine passport rules for restaurants and other venues—for now.

And this month, so far, the governors of New Jersey, California, Oregon, Connecticut, and Delaware have announced plans to roll back mask mandates. However, some of the states will still require masks in schools.

On Wednesday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walenksy told reporters that the Atlanta-based health agency is not considering changing its mask recommendation and mandate for public transportation. Walensky’s rationale was that the agency, under its 2020 guidelines, will only do so if community transmission drops.

“We recognize the importance of not just cases, which continue to result in substantial or high community transmission and over 97 percent of our counties in the country, but critically, medically severe disease that leads to hospitalizations,” she said.