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Sen. Lindsey Graham became the first senator to reveal a breakthrough infection after getting vaccinated against the coronavirus, saying Monday that he is “extremely grateful” he got the vaccine since his current symptoms would be “much worse” if he hadn’t.
Several more lawmakers were inspired by the revelation to take COVID-19 tests and report their results. A group of Senate colleagues spent part of the weekend working and socialising with the South Carolina Republican, who was at a party on Sen. Joe Manchin’s houseboat the night before he started experiencing symptoms.
Graham claimed he “began feeling flu-like symptoms Saturday night” and went to the doctor Monday morning, according to a statement released Monday afternoon.
Graham said he would quarantine for 10 days after learning of his positive test result.
Graham, 66, stated he feels like he has a sinus infection and is currently experiencing mild symptoms. “I’m glad I got vaccinated because I’m sure I wouldn’t feel as good as I do today if I hadn’t gotten it. My signs and symptoms would be much more severe.”
Graham was among the senators who attended Manchin’s rally on Saturday, according to spokesman Kevin Bishop. A spokeswoman for Manchin, Sam Runyon, said the West Virginia Democrat is “completely vaccinated” and follows “CDC protocols for anyone exposed to a COVID positive individual.”
Senators who attended the meeting on Monday evening were present and voting in the Capitol. Manchin claimed he’d tested negative since then and that the outdoor event, which lasted several hours and included hamburgers, was “simply trying to get people together.”
Manchin stated, “We do everything in a nonpartisan manner, and that’s what we do.” “I spoke with Lindsey today, and he seems fine.”
Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., said he was also on the yacht, dubbed “Almost Heaven,” and was waiting for test results. Senators John Thune, R-South Dakota, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, were also present and undergoing testing.
As the number of coronavirus cases has climbed in recent weeks, more senators have worn masks, but they aren’t needed in the chamber, and some still refuse to wear them. The House has reinstated the need for wearing a mask.
In the wake of the viral outbreak, Senate Democrats will revert to a virtual caucus lunch on Tuesday at the Capitol. Last year, Republicans were quicker to resume in-person meetings, but there was no hint on whether that would alter this year.
Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican who has been vaccinated, was not wearing a mask Monday and said he had not decided whether to put one back on. He is concerned that news of Graham’s illness will discourage people from getting vaccinated.
Blunt said of wearing a mask, “I think it’s actually one of the reasons that people are encouraged to get the vaccine is they don’t have to.”
There’s no way of knowing how dangerous it was for those who were near Graham, vaccinated or not. People who have been immunised have a much lower risk of becoming infected and contracting a serious case. The level of risk, however, is determined by whether Graham was masked, whether they were masked, how much virus his body was producing when they met, how close they were, and how long they were together.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated people who have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19 do not need to be quarantined if they are asymptomatic, but they should be tested within five days and wear a mask indoors for 14 days or until testing negative.
Graham, who was vaccinated in December, has long been an advocate for vaccination, stating this spring during a visit to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston that “the sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to normal.”
Graham’s infection comes on the heels of updated CDC advice urging even fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in areas of high coronavirus transmission, citing an increase in the highly contagious delta variant. According to recent research, breakthrough cases of COVID-19 with mild or no symptoms are still uncommon.
In response to a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, both congressional chambers have adopted stricter face covering regulations.
Prior to the release of the statement, Graham, who was wearing a mask, did not respond to questions from reporters on Capitol Hill. Graham was unable to attend Friday night’s Silver Elephant dinner, the South Carolina Republican Party’s signature annual fundraiser, which drew hundreds of people, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was a featured speaker.
