Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., announced separately that they had tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated against the virus, joining a small pool of breakthrough cases in the United States.
Wicker’s communications director Phillip Waller revealed the senator tested positive for the disease Thursday morning after “immediately seeking a test due to mild symptoms.”
“Senator Wicker is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, is in good health, and is being treated by his Tupelo-based physician,” Waller added. “He is isolating, and everyone with whom Senator Wicker has come in close contact recently has been notified.”
Hours later, Sen. King’s office similarly issued a statement saying he took a COVID test on Thursday morning “as a precaution after he began feeling under the weather yesterday.”
Upon learning that he had contracted the disease, King said while he is “not feeling great,” he is “definitely feeling much better” than he would have without the shot.
“I am taking this diagnosis very seriously, quarantining myself at home and telling the few people I’ve been in contact with to get tested in order to limit any further spread,” he added. “While Maine people and Americans are ready to move past COVID-19 and return to our normal routines, the virus is not done with us yet. We must all continue to look out for one another through our words and actions, and remain united against this dangerous disease.”
Hours after King’s announcement, Sen. Hickenlooper announced that he, too, tested positive for COVID-19.
“I’ve tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19,” Sen. Hickenlooper wrote. “I feel good but will isolate per docs instructions. I’m grateful for the vaccine (& the scientists behind it!) for limiting my symptoms.”
“If you haven’t gotten your shot—get it today!” the Colorado Democrat added. “And a booster when it’s available too!”
It is currently unclear how or where the lawmakers were exposed to the virus.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says breakthrough cases — or individuals who contract COVID-19 over two weeks after their last vaccine dose — are rare, they are to be expected with any vaccine. People who are vaccinated against COVID-19 tend to have less severe symptoms and are hospitalized at a far lower rate than unvaccinated individuals.
The CDC stopped tracking all reported breakthrough cases in May, opting instead to focus solely on patients with breakthrough cases who were either hospitalized or who died. As of August 9, only 8,054 such cases had been reported to the CDC.
As of the same date, over 166 million people in the U.S. were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That number now stands around 169 million.
King and Wicker are the third high-profile lawmakers to announce they had contracted COVID-19 this week: On Tuesday, Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott revealed he too tested positive for the virus, despite being fully vaccinated.
Earlier this month, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 and heaped praise on the COVID-19 vaccines.
“I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now,” he wrote. “My symptoms would be far worse.”
