CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — During his semi-daily COVID-19 briefing, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced his daughter, Dr. Jill Justice, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The governor says Jill and her husband, Adam Long, both tested positive for the virus, and that Jill has also tested positive for the flu. Health experts have dubbed the instance of a patient developing both the flu and COVID at the same time as “flurona.”
While Justice did not state his daughter and son-in-law’s conditions following their diagnosis, he says both are fully vaccinated and encouraged all West Virginians to get both their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to prevent severe cases of the viruses.
The announcement of Jill’s diagnosis comes just over a week after the governor himself tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19 on Jan. 11. The following day, Wednesday, Jan. 12 his chief of staff told MetroNews Talkline that Justice was “not doing well.” By Wednesday night, the governor began making a turn-around after receiving a monoclonal antibody treatment, saying he wanted to be “back in the saddle” very soon.
He returned to work and his regularly scheduled semi-daily COVID-19 briefings Monday, Jan. 17, where he spoke of his battle with the virus, praising his medical team and saying that without the vaccines and a booster, he would have been in much worse shape.
He had been set to give the State of the State address the following evening. The speech has now been postponed to Wednesday, Jan. 27. First Lady Cathy Justice tested negative for the virus multiple times during the governor’s illness.