Rand Paul defends decision not to self-isolate before testing positive for coronavirus

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul is defending his decision not to self-quarantine between the time of his coronavirus test and when learned Sunday that he had the infection.

In an op-ed for USA Today, the xx-year-old Paul argues that he did not meet the criteria for quarantine, or even for being tested. It was his “extra precaution,” out of concern for a damaged lung in conjunction with a busy travel schedule that led the senator to seek out a test.

Paul, who is a licensed medical doctor, argued that if he had “followed (the rules) to a T,” he never would have been tested for the virus, and would still be at work on Capitol Hill now.

Fellow GOP Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, both of Utah, have entered self-quarantine after interacting last week with Paul.

Paul was on Capitol Hill this past weekend, as senators worked to pass a third coronavirus stimulus package.

The often divisive legislator ended his piece with a call for national unity around the virus, “America is strong. We are a resilient people, but we’re stronger when we stand together.”

Paul had part of a lung removed last year as a result of being attacked in 2017 by a neighbor, which put him in the high-risk category for the virus, which attacks the respiratory system.