Advertisement

Sen. Lindsey Graham tests positive for COVID, credits vaccination for mild symptoms

GREENVILLE, S.C. — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 after being vaccinated for the virus.

In a statement issued by his office, Graham said he began experiencing flu-like symptoms on Saturday night. He said he went to the doctor Monday morning and "was just informed" of his positive test result.

"I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms," Graham said. "I will be quarantining for ten days.

“I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now," Graham said. "My symptoms would be far worse.”

The latest: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo urges businesses go to 'vaccine-only admission': Today's COVID-19 news

Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham

Graham, 66, is a Republican from Seneca who is serving his fourth term in the Senate. He's the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee.

Kevin Bishop, a spokesperson for the senator, said he doesn't know whether Graham is infected with the increasingly common COVID-19 delta variant.

Graham's diagnosis came a day after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, acknowledged some breakthrough infections are occurring among the vaccinated.

More: When will everyone be vaccinated for COVID-19? Here's how the vaccine rollout is going

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week," Fauci said no vaccine is 100% effective, but he stressed that vaccinated people who do become infected are far less likely to become seriously ill than unvaccinated people who become infected.

The U.S. reported more than 1.3 million new COVID-19 infections in July, more than triple the number from June, according to USA TODAY.

More: 'Something has to change': Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Henry Cuellar call on Biden to appoint 'border czar'

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week recommended that vaccinated people wear masks in areas where there is a substantial spread of the virus.

"That has much more to do with transmission," Fauci said. "You want them to wear a mask, so that if in fact they do get infected, they don't spread it to vulnerable people, perhaps in their own household, children or people with underlying conditions."

Kirk Brown covers government, growth and politics for The Greenville News. Reach him at kebrown@greenvillenews.com or on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM. Please subscribe to The Greenville News by visiting greenvillenews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Lindsey Graham tests positive for COVID; credits vaccine for mild case