It might be incoming Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy, who has become the most recognisable face of the public service over the past six months.

In his role as chief medical officer, Professor Murphy has been beamed into lounge rooms and on phone screens across the country for months, telling us to stay home and to keep our distance, and explaining strict lockdown measures that have saved lives.

It would come as no surprise that most public servants don't seek out the limelight, but in a recent Institute of Public Administration Australia podcast interview Professor Murphy said he wasn't quite prepared for being recognised in public.

"I'm trying to take Saturdays off, and I go for a walk around Lake Burley Griffin with my wife and I've taken to wearing sunglasses and a cap because people keep coming up to me," he said.

"Almost invariably positive, you know 'you're doing a great job mate, but tell us what's happening' and I'm quite uncomfortable with that."

Professor Murphy also recounted getting a haircut and a little girl who was the daughter of the hairdresser coming up to him and asking: "How did you get out of the television?"

While it's better to get praise instead of abuse, Professor Murphy said the limelight wasn't a natural place for him.

He is however comfortable dealing with the media.

"The Prime Minister always makes a joke that he prepares his speech with quite a lot of detail and I go in there without any notes and just talk what comes into my head and it is something that I've always been comfortable with.

"As a health service CEO I did a lot of media but...I'm not comfortable with being a known public face and you just have to put up with that and I'll presumably fade from the mind of the public fairly quickly."

Professor Murphy isn't the only chief medical officer who has been rocketed to the front of TV screens across the world, but he is probably grateful that the most he is getting is a hello around the lake.

Sweden's chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has had extreme reactions at both ends of the spectrum. Just two months ago some dedicated Swedes had his face tattooed on their bodies, now he must walk to work with a security detail after facing death threats.

Now that Professor Murphy is set to start the role of Health Department secretary, his media appearances will revert to the rhythm of most senior bureaucrats - Senate estimates three times a year, an interview or two, sitting on panels at conferences.

Of course that doesn't mean they don't experience a kind of (very) minor celebrity in the national capital. In a city where 25 per cent of the working population is employed in the public service, a secretary may be recognised at Bunnings, a chief executive at the pub, or by posting in a local community Facebook group.

Many Australians are looking forward to getting "back to normal" or to a "new normal" as the initial shock of the pandemic eases. We're sure Professor Murphy and his counterparts in health departments all over the country will be looking forward to days they don't have to front up to the cameras each day and can walk around the lake in peace.