WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) released a letter from his personal physician giving him clearance to end his quarantine and resume in-person activities per CDC guidelines.
Additionally, Senator Tillis has enrolled in an antibody study through a partnership with Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health that Senator Tillis secured funding for through the CARES Act to learn more about COVID-19 and how it is spreading. Senator Tillis also plans to participate in a study by UNC Chapel Hill that is the nation’s largest coordinated effort to study immunology and COVID-19 in the United States funded through the CARES Act to develop, validate, improve, and implement serological testing and associated technologies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the letter here.
Senator Tillis’ personal physician Dr. Faircloth: “The CDC guidelines for ending isolation re: those that know they are positive for the new coronavirus are simple. Regarding your case, there are 3 criteria that are CDC guidelines to meet. One must complete 10 days of quarantine from testing positive when they were diagnosed asymptomatically like yourself. Second, one must be fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducers. Last, one must have all other symptoms improve. You will fulfill all of these CDC criteria of ending your COVID-19 isolation at 4 pm today, 10/12/2020.”
Senator Thom Tillis: "I want to thank my doctors who provided guidance throughout my quarantine since testing positive for COVID-19. I feel very fortunate that I had a mild case with few symptoms, and I want to thank North Carolinians for their prayers and well-wishes. As we all know, COVID-19 is a very contagious and deadly virus, and I am proud to enroll in the antibody research study through Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health and volunteer to participate in UNC Chapel Hill’s immunology study and help however I can to end COVID. I look forward to returning to Washington and participating in-person at the Senate Judiciary hearings and confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court."
Dr. Myron S. Cohen, Associate Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Global Health, UNC Chapel Hill: “Senator Tillis’s efforts to immediately seek out what trials and studies are available to recovered COVID patients help shine an important light on the remarkable role science will play in bringing this pandemic to an end. Importantly, that role will only succeed when Americans from every walk of life – including a United States Senator – look for ways to serve their neighbors by asking, “What can I do to make a difference?” We welcome COVID survivors from communities across North Carolina to join Senator Tillis in registering for these types of studies and help us uncover therapies and ultimately a cure to this devastating disease.”
Dr. John Sanders, Chief, Infectious Diseases, Wake Forest University School of Medicine: “We are very grateful that Senator Tillis has been such an important champion of the COVID-19 Community Research Partnership and that he has volunteered to participate in the study as well. This multicenter study is designed to help track the epidemic as well as evaluate a number of important research questions such as whether infection provides immunity, how long antibodies are detectable after infection, and whether there are adverse events associated with even mild cases of COVID-19. Senator Tillis’ participation will help us answer those questions. Thanks to Senator Tillis’ support, we are also adding 6 research sites throughout North Carolina and major academic sites across the Atlantic Coast and South. He will also be donating convalescent serum to help others with the disease”
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