South Carolina Republican Congressman Who Refuses To Wear Mask, Contracts Coronavirus

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina refuses to wear a mask and has announced that he and his family of three are recovering from the coronavirus.
• Asymptomatic people can carry the coronavirus and the Republican congressman may have had the disease two weeks ago while refusing to wear a mask in Congress.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has repeatedly recommended for people to wear protective facial coverings as studies show that wearing a mask can reduce the spread of the coronavirus. 

Despite strong scientific evidence that masks help reduce the spread of the disease, some people still refuse to do so.

Republican Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina is one of the members of Congress who, like President Donald Trump, refuses to wear any facial covering in indoor settings.

Two weeks ago, Rice did not wear a facial covering at the House Floor in Washington. When asked by CNN reporter Manu Raju, why, he said he did not have to because he could maintain at least 6 feet of distance from everyone in the halls of the Capitol and on the Congress floor.

When you cannot maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a cloth mask/covering.  People with no symptoms of the coronavirus can still spread the disease.

With his son having a high fever and a really bad cough, and he and his wife with relatively mild symptoms, Rep. Rice, announced that they have contracted the “Wuhan Flu” or the coronavirus, but are recovering from it.

The congressman may already have had the virus two weeks ago and could have possibly spread it at that time. 

 “I do wear it sometimes on the floor. I make an effort to … stay 6 feet away from folks in accordance with guidelines. And when I’m forced into a situation where I can’t do that — like on a plane — I do wear a mask.”

The CDC recommends the use of masks in public places as it can help in the prevention of the spread of the coronavirus.

Source: Business Insider