Surgeon general tests positive for Covid-19

By Sonnet Swire and Rachel Janfaza, CNN

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy announced Friday that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Murthy wrote in a long thread on Twitter that his wife and 5-year-old son were also positive for the virus and had mild symptoms. His 4-year-old daughter, who was the first in his family to test positive, is “doing ok” and has an improving fever days after he announced that she has the virus, he added.

In announcing his diagnosis, Murthy spoke to the millions of Americans who have also tested positive for Covid-19, saying that he recognizes the emotions that may come with contracting the virus.

“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,” the surgeon general said.

“So if you’ve done everything you can and gotten COVID-19 anyway, don’t beat yourself up. A lot of us are doing the best we can. And let’s not assume those who get sick are careless. We don’t know people’s circumstances. They may not be able to protect themselves the way we can,” he added.

Murthy also stressed the importance of being vaccinated and boosted against the virus and reiterated the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“One major source of peace of mind for us: we and our son are vaxed/boosted. Vaccines are very effective at saving our lives and keeping us out of the hospital. As parents, I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to know we’ll be able to care for our kids even if we get infected,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional reaction.

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