Indiana Health Commissioner Tests Positive for COVID-19

Indiana’s health commissioner has tested positive for COVID-19, the second time she has been infected, the state health department announced Wednesday.

Dr. Kristina Box was isolating at home after getting the results of a rapid test she took on Tuesday, the agency said. Box sought the test after experiencing symptoms including muscle aches, chills, coughing and a sore throat.

Box, who has been Gov. Eric Holcomb’s top adviser throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, previously had a mild coronavirus infection in October 2020 before vaccinations were available.

The health department said Box, who is fully vaccinated and received a booster dose in November, is among an estimated 113,000 Hoosiers to suffer a breakthrough COVID-19 infection over the past year. Box has also undergone a PCR test, which will be examined to determine whether she has been infected with the highly infectious omicron variant spreading throughout the country.