After getting vaccinated against COVID-19, Sen. Lindsey Graham became the first senator to report a breakthrough illness. Graham stated on Monday that he's thankful he had the vaccine since his present symptoms might have been far worse if he hadn't.
In a statement, the Republican senator said he first felt flu-like symptoms on Saturday night and went to the doctor on Monday morning. Graham indicated that he would quarantine for 10 days after knowing a positive result.
Sen.Lindsey Graham attended an event with other senators
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, entertained a group of politicians on his houseboat in Washington, DC, over the weekend, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated. In the aftermath of the probable exposure, a spokesperson for Manchin assured reporters that the Democrat, who is also vaccinated, is adhering to public health recommendations.
Per Boston Herald, Graham attended a gathering on Sen. Joe Manchin's houseboat over the weekend, which other senators also attended, spokesman Kevin Bishop confirmed. Manchin's spokesperson, Sam Runyon, said the West Virginia Democrat is completely vaccinated and is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols for people who have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual.
Earlier this year, Manchin took his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. According to the CDC, fully vaccinated persons who have been in 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 they test negative.
Graham, who was vaccinated in December, has long been a proponent of vaccination, saying that "the sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the faster we can go back to normal" during a March visit to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
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Senators follow CDC's guidelines after being in close contact with Graham
Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Jacky Rosen of Nevada attended the event and talked with Graham, spokespersons for the lawmakers told CNN. Both senators, who are fully vaccinated, are following CDC guidelines and congressional health professionals' instructions.
It's unknown who else was at the event aboard Manchin's houseboat, which he uses as a base of operations in DC. The CDC recommends that persons who have been completely vaccinated get tested 3-5 days after being exposed to someone infected with COVID-19 and wear a mask indoors for two weeks or until they test negative for the virus. In December, Graham was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and expressed satisfaction at having been protected before being infected.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the United States, especially in regions where vaccination rates are poor. The weekly average of new daily cases in the United States has quintupled in the last month, rising from a little over 12,000 at the end of June to almost 72,000 last Thursday. According to the CDC, those vaccinated might still get so-called "breakthrough infections," albeit these occurrences are probably minimal.
Delta variant is the most infectious strain of the virus, accounting for more than 80% of infections in the United States. While the House has a mask requirement, the Senate no longer has one.
Almost all senators stated they had been vaccinated, but scores of House members have refused to comment whether or not they have been vaccinated. Due to the increase in cases, Senate Democrats have started having virtual leadership sessions after returning to in-person meetings, as per the Business Insider.
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