Rep. Tom Rice said he, his wife, and his son have contracted the coronavirus.
The South Carolina Republican posted on Facebook on Monday that his son tested positive for COVID-19 last week after exhibiting symptoms. Rice said he began to exhibit mild symptoms as well but is now on the mend.
“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. COVID-19 is a serious, sometimes deadly illness. We, however, have fared well. I wanted to relay our experience so far,” he wrote.
Rice later told the Washington Examiner that he and his family were mostly isolating themselves before realizing they had the illness. They did, however, run typical errands occasionally. His son also attended an outdoor birthday party, and the family dined at one or two restaurants in the days preceding their illnesses. For that reason, Rice was unsure where exactly he and his family may have been exposed to the virus.
The congressman confirmed that he was last in Washington, D.C., on May 28. That day, CNN reporter Manu Raju reported that Rice wasn’t wearing a mask on the House floor.
“I do wear it sometimes on the floor,” he told Raju, adding when asked about asymptomatic spread, “I make an effort to … stay 6 feet away from folks in accordance with guidelines. And when I’m forced into a situation where I can’t do that, like on a plane, I do wear a mask.”
When asked about the encounter and if there were any extra precautions that, in hindsight, the congressman would have taken, Rice said he “acted reasonably in accordance with the guidelines that are out there.”
“I don’t think that what happened in Washington had anything to do with it,” he said. “It was probably something or somebody that we came across here in the district. And again, I feel like we practiced, pretty much, what has been recommended.”
“This illness is certainly more severe than the flu,” he continued. “It is. But people who are not in risk categories, we have to move forward. People who are in risk categories, we’ve got to make sure that we go to high standards get those people to protect themselves and us to protect them.”
Rice took a positive approach to the ordeal on Monday, writing in his Facebook post, “I was lucky, and 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. The only bad thing is I have completely lost sense of taste and smell. CAN’T TASTE BACON!!!”
“We are finishing our quarantine and looking forward to seeing you all again. Friends, please wash your hands and take precautions. Stay healthy. See you soon,” he added.
