Ted Cruz self-quarantines after shaking hands with coronavirus patient

Ted Cruz.
(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will spend the next week self-quarantined at his home in Texas, following a "brief interaction" with a person at the Conservative Political Action Conference who has tested positive for the new COVID-19 coronavirus.

On Sunday, Cruz said he shook hands and had a short conversation with the person 10 days ago, and he was notified of their diagnosis on Saturday night. The average incubation period is five to six days, and Cruz said he is not experiencing any symptoms and was told by medical officials it is unlikely he contracted the virus.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.