Increasing number of politicians contracting COVID

The latest high-profile infection has hit right at the top: President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday along with his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, and a close advisor, Hope Hicks. But they’re far from the only political leaders to have contracted the virus since the pandemic began in March.

In Michigan, State Representative Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday. State Senator Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, tested positive in August. Both have been ardent critics of the governor’s efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus, but the virus hasn’t limited itself to the right side of the political divide.

State Representative Tyron Carter, D-Detroit tested positive in March. And State Representative Isaac Robinson, D-Detroit, was among the first politicians to die from the virus on March 29.

Across the country, more and more political leaders are contracting COVID-19 leading some to take the virus more seriously and others to shrug it off as an inconvenience.

Statistically, as many as 80% of infections result in mild symptoms. Most politicians who have publicly disclosed their own infections have reported mild to moderate symptoms, according to an article on Route Fifty.

Some politicians have expressed frustration at the lack of seriousness with which the pandemic has been treated by some parties.

“Someone asked me, ‘Haven’t you already had COVID? Why are you wearing your mask?'” said Columbia, Tennessee Mayor Chaz Molder, who contracted the virus in July. “I said, ‘First of all, I’m wearing my mask because I’m asking others to do it.'”

“Unfortunately, it’s created a lot of divisiveness for our country, but the opinions that we choose to listen to and follow are those of the medical experts, and I think that’s all we really can do at this point.”

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