Dr. Anthony Fauci, U.S. immunologist and head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Washington, June 15 (RHC)-- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, tested positive for COVID-19, the National Institutes of Health announced on Wednesday.

The 81-year-old, who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted, is currently experiencing mild symptoms, will isolate and work from home, the NIH said.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tested positive via a rapid antigen test, NIAID said.  It is the first time he has tested positive for the virus.

Fauci has not recently been in close contact with Biden or other senior government officials, the institute added.  He is the latest public health official to announce a positive test.  Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra tested positive for COVID for the second time in less than a month.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, there have been 85 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. And more than 1 million people have died from COVID-related complications.

Amid a wave of new cases caused by the Omicron variant, Fauci said in January that “just about everybody” in the United States would be infected.  In April, he was asked by CNN journalist Kate Bolduan whether it was inevitable that he would get it too.  “I don’t know,” Fauci said. “I am going to try my best to avoid it.”