Texas GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert, exposed to the coronavirus, is back in Congress, leading public tours

(Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

published 10 March 2020

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), like several of his colleagues, was informed he was exposed to the novel coronavirus at the Conservative Political Action Conference in late February. Unlike his colleagues, Gohmert declined to self-quarantine, saying Monday that a doctor from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared him to return to Washington. So he did.

Gohmert did not say which CDC doctor called him on Sunday, but on Monday, the CDC advised Americans that "the novel coronavirus is capable of spreading easily and sustainably from person to person," and as it spreads to throughout the country, "it's likely many will become sick but most people likely will have mild illness."

President Trump, who may also have been exposed to the virus, has not indicated any curtailing of his public engagements.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.