Coronavirus-stricken Congressman Ben McAdams was admitted to the hospital over the weekend when he began having difficulty breathing, he announced on Sunday night.
The Utah Democrat, who had tested positive for the illness last Wednesday, said in a statement that he was receiving oxygen to regulate his blood oxygen levels.
As of Sunday night, McAdams said he’s breathing on his own again “and feeling relatively better and expect[s] to be released as soon as the doctors determine it is appropriate.”
“My experience has shown me how critical it is to follow the advice of the CDC and the Utah Department of Health in order to stop the spread of this virus,” McAdams said.
The lawmaker first started feeling sick March 14 after returning home to Salt Lake City from Washington, D.C., where he had voted on a coronavirus relief package that was signed into law last Wednesday.
At first, McAdams’ doctor told him his fever and cough did not justify getting a coronavirus test, the lawmaker told the “Today” show last Thursday from his home.
McAdams said his condition “really took a turn for the worse” late last Monday.
“I had a temperature of about 103 and my lungs were really constricted — it felt like I had a belt around my chest,” he said.
His doctor then arranged for him to get tested.
