U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after experiencing symptoms at home while on leave.
The Department of Defense released a statement in which Austin noted that he is thankful his symptoms are mild due to being fully vaccinated.
“My doctor made clear to me, my fully vaccinated status — and the booster I received in early October — have rendered the infection much more mild than it would otherwise have been,” Austin said in the statement.
The Defense Secretary stressed in the statement and in a series of tweets that his infection is not an indication that the vaccines are ineffective.
The vaccines work and will remain a military medical requirement for our workforce. I continue to encourage everyone eligible for a booster shot to get one. This remains a readiness issue. 7/7
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) January 3, 2022
“The vaccines work and will remain a military medical requirement for our workforce,” Austin added. “I continue to encourage everyone eligible for a booster shot to get one. This remains a readiness issue.”
Austin’s last meeting with President Joe Biden was on Dec. 21, 2021, when he had tested negative, according to the statement. He has not been in the Pentagon since Thursday when he met with a few staff members. Austin noted they were wearing masks and socially distanced.
Austin says he will quarantine at home for five days, in accordance with CDC guidelines.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, indicated during Wednesday’s White House COVID-19 press briefing that the omicron variant would likely result in significantly fewer severe cases than 2020’s alpha wave. To date, there have been 290 million recorded infections and more than 5.4 million related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
