The leader of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus is the first state lawmaker known to be diagnosed with COVID-19.
State Representative Stephanie Howse says she's experiencing mild symptoms since being diagnosed a couple of days ago. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.
Howse says she’s been wearing a mask, washing her hands often, keeping social distance and using plenty of sanitizer. And she doesn’t know where she contracted the potentially deadly disease.
“Absolutely no idea.”
But since masks aren’t required at the Statehouse, she doesn’t rule out that she could have contracted it from fellow lawmakers.
“Of course it crosses my mind – the likelihood of coming from someone who is not as vigilant as myself…..absolutely. So, whether it’s in the Statehouse or in our communities, that’s truly how transmission has come from.”
Howse says she doesn’t know that she has infected anyone else but wants the public to know so they will take the pandemic seriously.