Maryland Gov. Hogan Tests Positive for COVID-19 a Second Time (Newsmax)
By Jay Clemons | Monday, 31 October 2022 06:40 PM EDT
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, announced Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
On social media, Governor Hogan tweeted: "Just wanted to let Marylanders know that after testing positive for COVID-19, I am working from home."
Hogan then added, "Fortunately, I'm up to date on my boosters and my symptoms are minimal."
The Maryland governor won't be on the ballot for next week's midterm elections (Nov. 8), since his gubernatorial limit of two terms expires in January.
Instead, for the new governor's race, Maryland voters will decide between candidates Dan Cox (Republican), Wes Moore (Democrat), Nancy Wallace (Green Party), and David Lashar (Libertarian Party).
In recent years, there have been reports of Hogan — a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump — pursuing the Republican National Committee's presidential nomination in 2024.
However, if that's the case, the deep pool of GOP presidential hopefuls could also include Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina., and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, among others.
Monday's announcement marks the second time — at least publicly — that Hogan has tested positive for COVID-19. The Hill reports the Maryland governor also had it last year.
Also, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 a second time — a supposed "rebound" case, after completing a round of the coronavirus antiviral treatment Paxlovid.
According to CDC data, provided by The Hill, COVID-19 cases in the United States have been "dropping steadily" since August — perhaps due to 68% of Americans being fully vaccinated.
As Newsmax chronicled last week, the White House warns that, in the absence of additional congressional funding for COVID-19 treatments, immunocompromised people would soon be at greater risk against emerging subvariants of the omicron strain.
Ashish Jha, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, offered a public plea for increased COVID funding, claiming "with some of the new subvariants emerging, some of the main tools we've had to protect the immunocompromised, like Evusheld, may not work moving forward. That's a huge challenge."
According to its corporate website, Evusheld is an "investigational medicine used in adults and adolescents (12 years of age and older) who weigh at least 88 pounds for pre-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of COVID-19."
Evusheld "is the only monoclonal antibody authorized as a periodic injection to prevent [COVID] infection," according to The Hill.
"New variants may make some existing protections ineffective for the immunocompromised. Sadly, this means you may be at a special risk this winter," President Joe Biden said last week, while receiving his updated booster shot.
"So, I urge you. I urge you to consult with your doctor on the right steps to protect yourself. Take extra precautions," added Biden.