Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus?


Vice President Mike Pence, who President Trump put in charge of the country's coronavirus-fighting efforts, met with students last week at a Florida high school where one student has been quarantined for exposure to coronavirus. Pence shook hands with cadets at the Sarasota Military Academy on Friday, and since then, a boy from the school had been quarantined after his mother was exposed to a person who'd tested positive for coronavirus, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.
The Sarasota Military Academy made a Facebook post about the quarantined student and mother on Monday, saying both of them "currently are not showing any symptoms" and promising it would disinfect the school. School maintenance crews also say they had disinfected the school about 10 days earlier, before Pence's visit, as a normal precaution during flu season, per the Herald-Tribune. The school assured the Herald-Tribune that the student hadn't met Pence last week. "We have been in touch with the Pentagon, so we assured them that particular cadet was not present for that occasion," the school's executive director Col. Christina Bowman said.
Two other people in Florida have tested positive for coronavirus, including one in Manatee County, which borders Sarasota. While it seems unlikely Pence was exposed to the virus, it may just be a matter of time before politicians — who are constantly meeting people from around the country — are.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
A running list of Trump's second-term national security controversies
In Depth Several scandals surrounding national security have rocked the Trump administration
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
The tobacco industry could be the beneficiary of health agency cuts
The explainer Anti-tobacco initiatives could be up in smoke
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
The full moon calendar for every month.
In depth When to see the lunar phenomenon every month
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump pauses some tariffs but ramps up China tax
Speed Read The president suspended most 'reciprocal' tariffs for 90 days and raised his tariffs for China to 125%
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US