Lindsey Graham tests positive for COVID-19: 'I am very glad I was vaccinated'
Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, despite being vaccinated.
“I started having flu-like symptoms Saturday night and went to the doctor this morning,” the South Carolina Republican tweeted Monday afternoon after receiving the diagnosis.
“I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms,” Graham wrote, adding, “I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse.”
Graham, who attended a Senate session Sunday on the emerging infrastructure package, said he will quarantine for 10 days.
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 99.99 percent of COVID-19 cases among vaccinated Americans have not resulted in hospitalization or death, indicating that the vaccine is effective in minimizing the severe risks posed by the virus.
Though vaccination for COVID-19 has been found to dramatically reduce the chances of catching it, a recent study released by the CDC found that vaccinated people can still spread the virus.
Last week the CDC updated its guidance to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with high rates of transmission. While the House of Representatives reinstated a mask mandate last week, the Senate has held off doing so.
A number of Republicans, including members of Congress, have protested the new mask guidance. It was not immediately clear how many people Graham had come in contact with prior to receiving his positive test, or how he contracted the virus. According to CNN, he was among a small group of senators in attendance at a gathering on Sen. Joe Manchin’s houseboat over the weekend. A spokesperson for the West Virginia Democrat reportedly said that “Senator Manchin is fully vaccinated and following the CDC guidelines for those exposed to a COVID-positive individual.”
____
Read more from Yahoo News:
