Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced on Sunday that he would undergo a very brief self-quarantine at his home in Texas after coming into contact with a person at CPAC who was infected with the coronavirus, which originated in China.
Cruz said that the decision was made after he consulted medical authorities from the Houston Health Department, the Harris County Public Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services, and his personal physician.
“Last night, I was informed that 10 days ago at CPAC I briefly interacted with an individual who is currently symptomatic and has tested positive for COVID-19,” Cruz said in a statement. “That interaction consisted of a brief conversation and a handshake.”
“I’m not experiencing any symptoms, and I feel fine and healthy,” Cruz continued. “Given that the interaction was 10 days ago, that the average incubation period is 5-6 days, that the interaction was for less than a minute, and that I have no current symptoms, the medical authorities have advised me that the odds of transmission from the other individual to me were extremely low.”
Because the interaction was 10 days ago, Cruz said that he will self-quarantine for four more days to see if any symptoms arise.
“The physicians further advised that testing is not effective before symptoms manifest, and my brief interaction with the individual does not meet the CDC criteria for self-quarantine,” Cruz continued. “The medical authorities explicitly advised me that, given the above criteria, the people who have interacted with me in the 10 days since CPAC should not be concerned about potential transmission.”
“Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, and because of how frequently I interact with my constituents as a part of my job and to give everyone peace of mind, I have decided to remain at my home in Texas this week, until a full 14 days have passed since the CPAC interaction,” Cruz concluded. “Everyone should continue to treat this outbreak seriously and be driven by facts and medical science. We need to continue to be proactive in mobilizing resources to combat this outbreak – including the $8.3 billion in emergency funding we provided last week – and I encourage everyone to follow the recommendations of the CDC and other health professionals in protecting their own health and welfare, as well as the health and welfare of those around them.”