Republican Rep. Tom Rice, and his wife and son, test positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON – South Carolina Republican Rep. Tom Rice announced Monday that he and his family contracted COVID-19, becoming the latest member of Congress to contract the deadly disease that has infected about 2.15 million Americans.
Rice, in a Facebook post to his constituents, said he and his family contracted the disease last week and were recovering. He joins seven other members of Congress who tested positive for the disease or who were diagnosed with a presumed case. But his case comes months after his colleagues' and comes as states push to reopen businesses and their economies.
"I wanted to let you know that all 3 members of our household: Wrenzie, our son Lucas, and I all have the Wuhan Flu. We are all on the mend and doing fine," Rice wrote on Facebook using a term that many of his Asian colleagues have deemed harmful and something that could stigmatize certain ethnic groups. "COVID-19 is a serious, sometimes deadly illness. We, however, have fared well."
Rice said he contracted the disease June 8 and said he felt "lucky."
"It was not bad for me. I had a low fever and a mild cough. It was gone by Thursday. I never stopped eating or drinking or working or moving," Rice said. "The only bad thing is I have completely lost sense of taste and smell. CAN’T TASTE BACON!!!"
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Rice's infection will likely serve as a cautious warning for many Americans attempting to go back to normal. Several states attempting to reopen have seen coronavirus cases spike.
His illness will also likely embolden House Democrats who have been weary of forcing the House's more than 400 members to return to Washington. The House voted in May to establish rules allowing members to vote by proxy. While the changed passed, Republicans were vehemently opposed to it and filed a lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of the measure.
Rice last voted on the House floor on May 28, about a week and a half before his family started getting sick.
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He said his son, Lucas, was the first to get sick on June 7 and suffered from a bad cough and high fever. "He’s still weak but getting stronger- moving around and eating a little," Rice added. He said his wife, while sick, "never blinked" and took care of both of them.
"She is an amazing, iron-willed South Carolina Woman," he said of his wife.
Rice joins fellow Reps. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., Mike Kelly, R-Pa., Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., Ben McAdams, D-Utah, Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who have gotten ill from the virus.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Rep. Tom Rice and his family test positive for COVID-19
