Three (3) US lawmakers, Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, have tested positive last week for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Rep. Ben McAdams said Sunday night that he has been hospitalized since Friday because of “severe shortness of breath.”
McAdams said in a statement that he experienced worsening symptoms Friday evening and he called the hotline for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. He said he was told to go to the hospital.
McAdams said his experience has shown him “how critical it is to follow the advice of the CDC and the Utah Department of Health in order to stop the spread of this virus.”
In an interview with the TODAY show last Thursday, McAdams said it felt like the “worst cold I’ve ever had” and described how difficult it was to breathe.
“I felt like I had a belt around my chest, and so I couldn’t breathe deeply,” said McAdams, whose doctor then recommended that he get tested.
Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, R-Fla., has also tested positive, and a number of other House members have said they are self-quarantining because they had contact with someone who tested positive.
On Sunday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., became the first senator to test positive.
A handful of other GOP senators, as a result, have decided to self-quarantine because of their interactions with Paul.
