Rep. McAdams on virus: The sickest I've ever been

A Utah congressman who has recovered from the coronavirus after testing positive and being hospitalized said it's the sickest he's ever been.

Democratic Congressman Ben McAdams first started feeling ill in mid-March. After he started to experience shortness of breath and other symptoms similar to those associated with the virus, his doctor suggested he get tested. McAdams had already been self-quarantining when he received the results of the test, indicating he had COVID-19. A few days later his symptoms worsened and his doctor told him to go to the hospital.

"It was pretty scary for me and we didn't know which way it was going to go, if it was going to get worse, it just lingered and just felt awful for the full, for those nine days that I was in the hospital," said McAdams, who said he doesn't have any risk factors and considers himself relatively healthy.

The 45-year-old praised the hospital staff who cared for him. As Congress considers whether to take up another relief bill to combat the virus, McAdams said more still needs to be done to make sure the country is prepared.

"I do worry about a resurgence of the virus in the fall or a different virus that may come forward. So I want to make sure that we are fully prepared that we don't find ourselves in the same situation again where we are lacking the healthcare equipment, the personal protective equipment for our healthcare workers," he said.

McAdams also said that while Congress is often a place divided by politics, "what we have to do has to be bipartisan and really we have to come together and work together to save lives and that is the only thing that matters right now."

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.