WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (US) – Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced Friday that he and his young family have COVID-19 despite doing their best to avoid infection through vaccination and other precautions, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Writing on Twitter, the American doctor said, “When you are as safe as possible, it can be frustrating and frustrating getting COVID-19. I felt it. It can also be a source of shame. A lot of people assume you might be neglected until you get sick. Our own safety from risk but it doesn’t eliminate risk. Nothing can.”
With new cases and hospital admissions declining, and deaths finally starting to decline, the Murthy family’s bout with COVID is drawing attention to the real dangers of a virus that many people assume is finally on its way out.
Murthy, a regular participant in White House task force briefings on COVID, said he and his wife, physician and political activist Dr. Alice Chen, have mild symptoms. She has headaches and fatigue, and said he has muscle aches, chills, and a sore throat.
“Our breathing is fine, fortunately,” he wrote.
Murthy, his wife and their 5-year-old son are being vaccinated and boosted. Their 4-year-old daughter is too young to be eligible for vaccination.
His daughter, “who tested positive first, is fine,” he said. The fever started to improve. She’s still engorged and now hoarse with a cough, but luckily she’s still smiling and enjoying her arts and crafts.”
“Our son has a runny nose and a low-grade fever, but he eats, drinks, plays with his sister and watches his favorite cartoon,” Murthy added.
“It’s been a mess in the house with all of us sick,” he said, “but I don’t want to go through this with anyone but Alice.”
Murthy was not present at the White House briefing on COVID on Wednesday. The White House said Murthy had not had any recent contact with President Joe Biden, and that COVID was not the reason for Murthy’s absence from the briefing.
As a general surgeon, Murthy advocated early on for misinformation and disinformation about the coronavirus, urging Americans to follow tested public health guidelines and get vaccinated and boosted.
His and his family’s illness demonstrates the rugged efficiency of the omicron variant, which contains a series of mutations that increase its ability to evade vaccines. However, government officials say the data clearly shows that those who are fully vaccinated retain significant protection against severe disease and hospitalization, and for those who get booster doses, disease resistance is greater.
Although unvaccinated people are still more likely to get sick, be hospitalized, or die, the Omicron wave has seen many vaccinated people become infected as well. This has led to disruptions in family and work routines and overburdened overcrowded hospitals.
Murthy said his confidence in vaccines remains firm.
He wrote: “One of the main sources of peace of mind for us: We and our son have been immunized/strengthened.” “Vaccines are very effective in saving our lives and keeping us out of the hospital. As parents, I cannot tell you how reassuring it is to know that we will be able to take care of our children even if we become infected.”
Murthy served on Biden’s transition team as co-chair of the Coronavirus Advisory Board, and is said to have a close personal relationship with the president. His trademark is gentle and empathetic public speaking. Even before the pandemic, he was warning of loneliness losses in America.
Murthy’s family roots go back to India, but as a young man he lived in Miami. His father had a medical clinic in which both parents worked. The son spent his weekends helping out and says this is where he discovered the art of healing.
On Friday, Murthy sought to console those who tried to protect themselves and were still ill.
“If you do everything you can and get COVID-19 anyway, don’t worry about yourself,” he wrote. “Many of us are doing our best. And let’s not assume that 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.”
AOQ