Following Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) self-quarantine due to possible contact with coronavirus, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will now be undergoing a self-quarantine of his own after attending the Florida event where a Brazilian official present tested positive for the virus.
In a statement released from the senator’s office, Graham said he “has no recollection of direct contact” with the Brazilian official who tested positive for the virus.
“However, in an abundance of caution and upon the advice of his doctor, Senator Graham has decided to self-quarantine awaiting the results of a coronavirus test,” the statement said, as reported by The Hill. “This is a precautionary measure. He will continue to work from home.”
Just last week, Senator Ted Cruz announced that he would also be undergoing a self-quarantine after attending CPAC where he had contact with a person infected by the virus. Health officials, however, told him he most likely had nothing to worry about.
“Last night, I was informed that 10 days ago at CPAC I briefly interacted with an individual who is currently symptomatic and has tested positive for COVID-19,” Cruz said in a statement. “That interaction consisted of a brief conversation and a handshake.”
“I’m not experiencing any symptoms, and I feel fine and healthy,” Cruz continued. “Given that the interaction was 10 days ago, that the average incubation period is 5-6 days, that the interaction was for less than a minute, and that I have no current symptoms, the medical authorities have advised me that the odds of transmission from the other individual to me were extremely low.”
The following week, Cruz’s spokesman said that the senator felt “great” and had exhibited no symptoms during his quarantine, adding that people who came in contact with him had no cause for concern.
“Sen. Cruz feels great, has not exhibited any symptoms of the coronavirus in the last 11 days, and is not currently experiencing any symptoms,” the statement said. “Sen. Cruz’s own decision to stay at home in Texas this week – until a full 14 days have passed since the interaction on February 27 – was made out of an abundance of caution and to give everyone peace of mind, not because it was medically recommended.”
“Importantly, medical authorities assured Sen. Cruz that anyone who has interacted with him over the last 11 days should not be concerned about potential transmission and they do not require any special treatment, including self-quarantine,” the statement continued. “As such, Sen. Cruz’s staff is following the recommendations of these medical authorities in response to this interaction.”
Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) also announced on Thursday that he will be undergoing a self-quarantine after possibly coming into contact with a coronavirus patient.
“After consulting with the Senate’s attending physician and my personal doctor, I have been told that my risk is low, and I don’t need to take a test or quarantine,” Scott said. “However, the health and safety of the American people is my focus and I have made the decision to self-quarantine in an abundance of caution. I am feeling healthy and not experiencing any symptoms at this time.”
No comments:
Post a Comment