After a COVID-19 diagnosis forced West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to deliver Wednesday’s scheduled “State of the State” address via written statement, it would appear that he is safely on the road to recovery.
In another statement released on Friday, January 14, Justice said, “I’m feeling even better today than I felt yesterday. I miss being in the office, and I’m excited to get back to work very soon. I’ll never, ever forget all the prayers and well-wishes that I’ve received. I can’t tell you how much Cathy and I appreciate them.”
The governor’s diagnosis came as a shock to many, including Justice, himself, when it was announced by his office shortly before midnight on Tuesday, January 11.
When the announcement was made, the governor said, “While I was surprised that my test results came back positive, I’m thankful to the Lord above that I’ve been vaccinated, I’ve been boosted, and that I have an incredible support system, especially my loving family.”
In his Friday statement, Justice elaborated a bit more on how the virus has impacted him personally this week.
“Getting this terrible disease for yourself gives you a whole new perspective,” Justice stated. “I’ve never been sick like that before. I felt great on Monday, and by Tuesday I was in bad, bad shape.”
Both Gov. Justice, and West Virginia Coronavirus Czar Dr. Clay Marsh attribute Justice’s quick recovery to his choosing to receive both the COVID-19 vaccination and booster.
As Marsh put it, “Without the immunity afforded by those vaccines, his (Justice’s) outcome could have been much worse.”
Justice concluded his Friday statement by saying, “I truly believe that my choice to get vaccinated and boosted saved my life. People might say, ‘Here’s Gov. Justice, he got vaccinated and he still got sick.’ And to those people I’d say, ‘Here’s Gov. Justice talking to you today.’ That’s the difference. Gov. Justice didn’t end up in the hospital, the ICU, or – God forbid – worse.
I really, really plead with every West Virginian: get vaccinated and get your booster. This disease is nothing to fool around with. It hits you quick and fast when you least expect it. It’s some nasty stuff. Now, more than ever, I urge you to protect yourself and your family.”
