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Despite being vaccinated and booster, Biden-appointed U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy tested positive for COVID-19.
Murthy said his 4-year-old daughter tested positive for the virus and was experiencing symptoms. He later confirmed that his 5-year-old son and his wife also have tested positive.
Just last month, Murthy appeared on national television to encourage big tech companies like Spotify to censor the free speech of popular podcaster Joe Rogan.
Appearing on the left-wing network MSNBC, Murthy said Silicon Valley tech companies have an “important role to play” in preventing the spread of alleged coronavirus “misinformation.”
Host Mika Brzezinski said, “What do you think are the best ways to push back on misinformation about COVID that continues to be aggressively pushed, whether it be Joe Rogan’s podcast or all over Facebook?”
“We can have the best science available, we can have the best public health expertise available. It won’t help people if they don’t have access to accurate information,” responded Murthy.
“People have the right to make their own decisions, but they also have the right to have accurate information to make that decision with.”
He urged private companies to use their power to limit the spread of alleged misinformation.
“This is about companies and individuals recognizing that the only way we get past misinformation is if we are careful about what we say and use the power that we have to limit the spread of misinformation,” said Murthy.
The “surgeon general” @vivek_murthy: “Critical part of how we get through this pandemic” is “limiting the spread of misinformation” from shows like @joerogan pic.twitter.com/xexarsaNDN
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 25, 2022
Fortunately, networks like CNN and MSNBC averaged significantly less views than Rogan. CNN recorded over a million viewers in its primetime slots in 2021, which is a fraction of Rogan’s audience. MSNBC averaged 1.53 million, which is also very far behind Rogan.
In a recent tweet, Murthy provided an update on their symptoms.
“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 said.
“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.”
He added that his symptoms are “mild,” but he’s experiencing muscle aches, chills and a sore throat.
More on this story via Fox News:
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.”
“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.”
