Sen. Maggie Hassan's emotional story about COVID-19's impact on her family
Senator Maggie Hassan shares a story about her son and how her family is coping with the coronavirus outbreak
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
After writing a Fox News op-ed about the importance of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Maggie Hassan appeared on “America’s Newsroom” to further share her personal story.
“People at risk will need more hospitalization and more effort to keep them better and well, but it is also critical that we do not overwhelm our health care system right now,” the Democratic New Hampshire senator said, responding to President Trump's goal of potentially reopening some segments of the economy after Easter Sunday, April 12.
Hasson said the economy cannot rebound unless coronavirus cases drop significantly and that the two are "absolutely related."
SCIENTISTS OFFER HOPEFUL NEWS ON COVID-19 VACCINE BASED ON VIRUS' MUTATION RATE
Hassan’s comments came after her op-ed published on Fox News titled “Sen. Maggie Hassan: Coronavirus and my family -- What it means to be high risk for COVID-19.”
The senator wrote in the op-ed, “We probably all have loved ones who fall into that high-risk category. For many, that means worrying about parents and grandparents. I have older relatives that I am thinking about, but I also worry about my son Ben, who has cerebral palsy.”
SEN. MAGGIE HASSAN: CORONAVIRUS AND MY FAMILY -- WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HIGH RISK FOR COVID-19
“A remarkable team of surgeons performed a minimally invasive procedure at Ben’s bedside, and throughout the rest of the week, he steadily improved. And I am grateful every day to the doctors, nurses, volunteers, and others who supported Ben and our family during his stay at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. I am also mindful of how many people and how much specialized, expensive equipment it took to save Ben.”
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Hassan said though social distancing can be disruptive, it is critically important to protect high-risk individuals and the capacity of the whole system.
“This virus hits people very hard in the respiratory system and it will take a lot of equipment, a lot of medical expertise to pull a lot of the people through," she said, adding that doctors and nurses must also be available to patients who have other illnesses or emergency situations that arise on a normal day.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox