Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) released a lengthy statement on Monday explaining why he received testing for the coronavirus after left-wing reporters pounced on the opportunity to attack him for receiving testing despite not having any symptoms.
Paul announced on Sunday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, which originated in China, and that he was quarantining himself to prevent further spread of the virus.
Paul said today that he was tested because he and has wife had traveled extensively in recent weeks prior to social distancing practices going into effect and because he was at a higher risk for serious complications from the virus since he had part of his lung removed last year after he was violently attacked by his Democrat neighbor.
“I felt that it was highly unlikely that I was positive since I have had no symptoms of the illness, nor have I had contact with anyone who has either tested positive for the virus or been sick,” Paul said. “Since nearly every member of the U.S. Senate travels by plane across the country multiple times per week and attends lots of large gatherings, I believed my risk factor for exposure to the virus to be similar to that of my colleagues, especially since multiple congressional staffers on the Hill had already tested positive weeks ago.”
Paul then highlighted his attendance at recent events:
As for my attendance at the Speed Art Museum fundraiser on March 7, unlike the other Kentucky government officials there, I had zero contact or proximity with either of the two individuals who later announced they were positive for COVID-19. The event was a large affair of hundreds of people spread throughout the museum.
There was an announcement by the Museum and Metro Louisville Communicable Disease department that “those who public health officials consider at higher risk from possible exposure are being notified.” Louisville’s health director put out a statement in The Courier Journal that “most of the people at the Speed Ball were at ‘very minimal risk.’” I was not considered to be at risk since I never interacted with the two individuals even from a distance and was not recommended for testing by health officials.
Paul said that his positive test proves that more testing for the coronavirus is immediately needed because it shows that people can be walking around and able to potentially infect others without showing any symptoms.
“For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol. The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined. It was my extra precaution, out of concern for my damaged lung, that led me to get tested,” Paul continued. “Perhaps it is too much to ask that we simply have compassion for our fellow Americans who are sick or fearful of becoming so. Thousands of people want testing. Many, like Daniel Newman of The Walking Dead, are sick with flu symptoms and are being denied testing. This makes no sense.”
Paul’s statement came after Washington Post reporter Seung Min Kim falsely implied over the weekend that Paul went and worked out in the in the Senate gym after he received the results of his test.
“During the Senate GOP lunch today, Moran told colleagues that Rand was at the gym this morning, per two sources briefed on the lunch, and that he was swimming in the pool,” Kim wrote. “Rand got his COVID-19 results back this morning.”
Paul responded, “We want to be clear, Senator Paul left the Senate IMMEDIATELY upon learning of his diagnosis. He had zero contact with anyone & went into quarantine. Insinuations such as those below that he went to the gym after learning of his results are just completely false & irresponsible!”
We want to be clear, Senator Paul left the Senate IMMEDIATELY upon learning of his diagnosis. He had zero contact with anyone & went into quarantine. Insinuations such as those below that he went to the gym after learning of his results are just completely false & irresponsible! https://t.co/yqfxydsXBG
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020