Rand Paul Explains Why He's Free to Go Maskless

Senator says he doesn't need to wear a mask because he can't infect anyone
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted May 6, 2020 10:25 AM CDT
Rand Paul: 'I'm About the Only Safe Person in Washington'
In this March 5, 2019, file photo, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Here's another entry on the list of lawmakers who are choosing not to wear masks: Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday told reporters that since he has recovered from COVID-19 after testing positive in March, he doesn't need to wear a mask—and he went so far as to call himself "about the only safe person in Washington." "I've already had the virus, so I can't get it again, and I can't give it to anybody," said the ophthalmologist, per the Hill. When asked about a new study that found a mutated and now-dominant strain of the coronavirus could potentially increase a person's vulnerability to reinfection, he dismissed it, saying, "That's not true. I can't get it again, nor can I transmit it." The Washington Post notes that Paul did indeed go without a mask during Tuesday's Senate session, though most senators and staffers were sporting them or other face coverings.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Paul took to Twitter after news of his comments spread. He had this to say: "The fake news can't stand that some people might not need to submit to the new authoritarianism of the left because they are immune to coronavirus. Modern science disagrees. Modern medicine shows us that immunity is based on having antibodies. Why do they think medicine is trying so hard to get a coronavirus vaccine? Immunity. I have taken an antibody test and am positive for long term COVID-19 antibodies." NBC News reports that experts—Dr. Fauci among them—say that those who've recovered probably have some kind of immunity, but it's not yet known how long it lasts or how extensive it is. (More Rand Paul stories.)

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