Rep. Ben McAdams becomes 2nd member of Congress to test positive for coronavirus

(Image credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

published 19 March 2020

Rep. Ben McAdams (D-Utah) on Wednesday evening said he has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

"I am still working for Utahns and pursuing efforts to get Utahns the resources they need as I continued doing my job from home until I know it is safe to end my self-quarantine," he said in a statement. "I'm doing my part as all Americans are doing to contain the spread of the virus and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak."

McAdams said he developed cold-like symptoms on Saturday, and after talking to his doctor, decided to self-quarantine. Once he developed a fever, cough, and labored breathing, McAdams contacted his doctor again, and was tested for COVID-19. "I urge Utahns to take this seriously and follow the health recommendations we're getting from the CDC and other health experts so that we can recover from this public health threat," he said.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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