ATLANTA – Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff was still waiting Monday to find out whether he has coronavirus, two days after being tested for COVID-19.
Ossoff, who is challenging Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., said he was told to expect a result from the test within two to four days. He was tested on Saturday after his wife, Dr. Alisha Kramer, an ob-gyn at Emory University, tested positive for COVID-19.
Ossoff noted that some people have received results from COVID-19 tests quickly, while others have had to wait up to two weeks.
“In order to respond to this crisis, we need to get fast results for everybody,” he said. “We need elected officials to listen to and implement scientific expertise.”
In keeping with that theme, the Ossoff campaign released its second general-election ad on Monday, accusing Perdue of echoing misinformation President Donald Trump has disseminated during the coronavirus pandemic downplaying the threat posed by the virus.
The ad “Echo” alternates sound bites Trump has delivered on the low risks posed by COVID-19 with nearly identical quotes from Perdue.
For his part, Perdue charged Ossoff in a news release Monday with falsely claiming legislation Perdue introduced in the Senate last week would deny federal grants to schools that do not reopen immediately to in-person instruction.
“It’s puzzling that Jon Ossoff would be against a good faith proposal that gives our schools, teachers and parents the tools they need to reopen safely now and in the coming weeks,” said Casey Black, a senior spokeswoman for the Perdue campaign. “The SCHOOL Act uses guidelines recommended by the [federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], pediatric health-care experts and local school officials and provides the resources to reopen with confidence.”
Meanwhile, Ossoff said his wife has been improving steadily during the last three days since testing positive for coronavirus.
Ossoff said his decision to self-quarantine after his wife tested positive is not affecting his campaign.
“I was already in de facto quarantine,” he said. “I haven’t done a public campaign event in more than a month.”
Ossoff won the Democratic nomination to oppose Perdue last month. Perdue was unopposed for the Republican nod for a second six-year term.