Surgeon General Vivek Murthy tests positive for COVID-19

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy tested positive for COVID-19, he tweeted Friday morning, just days after revealing that his 4-year-old daughter tested positive for the virus and was experiencing symptoms. 

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy delivers remarks during a news conference with White House press secretary Jen Psaki at the White House in Washington, July 15, 2021.  (REUTERS/Tom Brenner)

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"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 tweeted. "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 is vaccinated and boosted, and his symptoms are "mild," he said: muscle aches, chills and sore throat. Murthy said all family members who are eligible are also vaccinated earlier this week, and tweeted Friday that his family members also have mild symptoms. 

The surgeon general's positive test comes as coronavirus cases in the United States are broadly trending down and many jurisdictions are rolling back restrictions like mask mandates or vaccine requirements. 

Murthy also said it's hard for parents of children who test positive to protect themselves, and told people who've gotten COVID-19 not to "beat yourself up."

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"We've tried to be safe but it’s tough when your kids are sick. You want to comfort them when they're unwell. That often requires being close physically. We'd make that choice again, but I feel for those who struggle to balance protecting themselves with caring for family," Murthy tweeted. 

"When you’ve been as safe as you can, getting COVID-19 can be frustrating and disappointing," he also said. "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."