Why Did Virginia Foxx Hide Her COVID Infection?

 

From Virginia Foxx's Twitter

Rep. Virginia Foxx tested positive for COVID-19 the week of Nov. 23 and stayed in quarantine until the first week of December. Neither she nor her office let out a peep about it until shortly before she returned to work in Washington on December 7th. 

None of the local media in her 5th District knew anything about her diagnosis and quarantining. Many if not most still don't.

Foxx's spokesman Alex Ives said on December 7th that it’s highly likely that Foxx became infected after she was "exposed to her immediate family." Also according to Ives, Foxx was asymptomatic and stayed clear of the public and staff during her quarantine period.

Foxx kept her COVID infection a closely guarded secret in the 5th District until December 3rd, when she posted in the Congressional Record a vaguely worded excuse for missing a vote. Someone had had a positive COVID test, but she didn't say clearly that it was her test that was positive.

A day after her return to Washington, Foxx spoke from the House floor on December 8: "My husband contracted the virus and spent four days in Watauga Medical Center where he received excellent care from doctors and nurses. I tested positive, was totally asymptomatic, but of course was quarantined."

On December 18, she tweeted a photo of herself being jabbed with a syringe: "Today, I received my first round of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is the power of American innovation at work!"

Also the power of congressional privilege. But then, you knew that Virginia Foxx was going to be the first one at the buffet, didn't you? 

Why would she keep her virus infection a secret? (In fact, it's still essentially a secret to many/most? of her 5th District constituents, especially the ones who don't read any mainstream news sources -- let alone the Congressional Record -- because of course "fake news.") She kept it secret because she must have known she'd be mocked for her hypocrisy. She was among the Republicans who followed their leader's playbook and downplayed the virus and the need for aggressive public interventions to limit its spread. 

Foxx, in particular, was outspoken. "In mid-November, Foxx blasted the Democratic leadership of the U.S. House for adopting policies designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 on Capitol Hill. Then, later in the month, she vehemently opposed an effort by U.S. House Democrats to pass a strong COVID relief package that included paid sick leave for workers — something she’s been taking advantage of in recent days" (Rob Schofield).

Those of us who have known her for decades know her for a liar and a hypocrite. The fact that the rest of the 5th District doesn't know her that way owes a good deal to her management of the news.