Sarah Palin urges mask use after revealing Covid-19 diagnosis

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is urging everyone to continue social distancing and wearing face masks after revealing that she and members of her family tested positive for Covid-19.

"I strongly encourage everyone to use common sense to avoid spreading this and every other virus out there," Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, said in a statement to People magazine. "There are more viruses than there are stars in the sky, meaning we'll never avoid every source of illness or danger ... But please be vigilant, don't be frightened, and I advise reprioritizing some personal time and resources to ensure as healthy a lifestyle as you can create so when viruses do hit, you have at least some armor to fight it."

She joked that she had some practice wearing a mask indoors when she appeared on "The Masked Singer," a Fox television show where celebrities showcase their vocal skills while hiding their identities behind an elaborate costume. Palin, who dressed up as a colorful bear, was voted off in Season 3.

"Through it all, I view wearing that cumbersome mask indoors in a crowd as not only allowing the newfound luxury of being incognito, but trust it's better than doing nothing to slow the spread," she said. "And history will show we 'Masked Singer' visitors were masked before being masked was cool."

Palin, 57, said that her family was diagnosed with the coronavirus after one of her daughters woke up not being able to taste or smell, which is a symptom of the virus. The daughter "immediately had a positive Covid test, then was quarantined in isolation," Palin said in her statement.

"I then observed symptoms in my son Trig, who curiously is the most enthusiastic mask-wearer, and after our numerous negative tests over the year, he tested positive," her statement continued. "Children with special needs are vulnerable to Covid ramifications [Trig was born with Down syndrome], so with a high fever he was prescribed azithromycin, which really seemed to help, and I increased amounts of vitamins I put in his puréed food."

Palin said she soon developed a slight fever and sore muscles. Once she lost her sense of smell and taste, she assumed "Covid caught me."

"That day I finally tested positive — like millions of other Americans," she said.

Palin went on to say that her Covid-19 diagnosis shows that "anyone can catch this."