David Rutz(Washington Free Beacon)
An NBC medical expert who was brought on air nearly a dozen times to detail his struggle with COVID-19 never had the virus, he revealed this week.
After believing he had the coronavirus in spite of getting negative tests, virologist and NBC News science contributor Dr. Joseph Fair tweeted Tuesday that he had tested negative for the antibodies and that the illness that hospitalized him in May “remains an undiagnosed mystery.” Steve Krakauer reported on the developments for his Fourth Watch newsletter.
He was featured that night on NBC Nightly News, where he encouraged citizens to wear protective eyewear in addition to a facemask.
My undiagnosed/suspected COVID illness from nearly 2 months ago remains an undiagnosed mystery as a recent antibody test was negative. I had myriad COVID symptoms, was hospitalized in a COVID ward & treated for COVID-related co-morbidities, despite testing negative by nasal swab.
— Dr. Joseph Fair (@curefinder) July 7, 2020
On May 18, Fair appeared on Deadline: White House along with a chyron reading, “Breaking News: NBC News Contributor Updates On His Battle With COVID-19.” He said he felt increasingly sick from flu-like symptoms and eventually called an ambulance. His breathing grew so constricted, he said, that he had a panic attack.
On June 14, he appeared on Meet the Press to discuss his recovery, where Fair said it was the “worst I’ve ever felt.”
“I did not expect if I got COVID-19 that I would get that ill,” he said.
NBC News still has an uncorrected story on its website from May 14 with the headline, “Virologist hospitalized with coronavirus believes he got it through his eyes.”
