Joe Wilson

South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R) announced that he tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement came hours after he spoke on the House floor. Wilson said in a statement:

 “I will be taking all necessary precautions, as directed by the House Physician, including quarantining through the Christmas holiday. Thankfully I feel fine and do not have any symptoms. It is so important that we all do our part to help prevent the spread of this virus.”

Wilson is at high risk because he is 73 and has pre-existing medical conditions. Many Republican politicians tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks.

A poll released on Monday determined that Republican respondents were four times more likely than Democrats to never get the COVID-19 vaccine. An ABC News-Ipsos poll found that a respondent’s party identification was directly related to their willingness to take the vaccine. A total of 26 percent of Republican respondents said they would never get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In a wide-ranging interview Tuesday on Morning Edition, NPR’s Rachel Martin asked Fauci how many Americans need to receive the vaccine to have an impact on the number of COVID-19 infections.

“I would say 50% would have to get vaccinated before you start to see an impact,” Fauci said. “But I would say 75 to 85% would have to get vaccinated if you want to have that blanket of herd immunity.” 

Please wear a mask, keep a safe distance, and stay home if and when you can.