Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Texas who tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday, suggested that he may have contracted the virus because he was …
Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Texas who tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday, suggested that he may have contracted the virus because he was wearing a mask, despite health guidance encouraging mask-wearing to reduce the spread. «I can’t help but wonder if by keeping a mask on and keeping it in place, I might have put some germs — some virus — onto the mask and breathed it in,» Gohmert said in an interview with Texas station KETK. Gohmert tested positive Wednesday morning at the White House, he said, ahead of a scheduled trip accompanying President Donald Trump to Texas on Air Force One. He has frequently been seen without a mask while in proximity to others on Capitol Hill and told CNN last month that he wasn’t wearing a mask because he is tested often but would wear one if he tested positive. The congressman is not symptomatic, and plans to self-quarantine for 10 days, he said, at which point he should be «fairly well immune.» The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is still unknown whether someone who has been infected in the past can become infected again. The congressman said that in the last couple of weeks, «I have worn a mask more than I have in the whole last four months,» but acknowledged that he has also touched his face to adjust his mask frequently.
