Congressman Ben McAdams Hospitalized With ‘Severe Shortness of Breath’ From COVID-19

Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah, one of the first members of Congress to have tested positive for coronavirus, was hospitalized on Friday with “severe shortness of breath,” he said in a statement Sunday.

After being diagnosed on Wednesday, McAdams told the TODAY Show that his COVID-19 felt like “the worst cold I’ve ever had.” On Friday, after his symptoms got worse, he called the coronavirus hotline and was told to go to the hospital where he was met by staff in an isolation unit.

“I was admitted and have been receiving oxygen as I struggled to maintain my blood oxygen at appropriate levels,” he said in the statement. “I am now off oxygen and feeling relatively better and expect to be released as soon as the doctors determine it is appropriate.”

McAdams is one of two Congressmen who have so far tested positive for COVID-19. The other is Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican from Florida, who also tested positive Wednesday. On Sunday, Rand Paul of Kentucky became the first Senator to test positive for COVID-19. Several other members of the House and Senate are self-isolating after coming into contact with them.

McAdams said his 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.”