Loeffler to continue to self-isolate after conflicting COVID-19 test results

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) will continue to self-isolate after receiving conflicting COVID-19 test results, a campaign official said Sunday.

Campaign spokesperson Stephen Lawson released a statement saying Loeffler’s “inconclusive” coronavirus test results from Saturday were retested overnight and “thankfully came back negative.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, she will continue to self-isolate and be retested again to hopefully receive consecutive negative test results,” Lawson said.

“We will share those results as they are made available,” he continued. “She will continue to confer with medical experts and follow CDC guidelines.”

The update comes after the Loeffler campaign announced Saturday night that she would be self-isolating after a possible COVID-19 exposure. 

In a Saturday statement, Lawson said the Georgia senator took two tests on Friday, including a rapid test that came back negative and allowed her to participate in two campaign events with Vice President Mike Pence. 

But after the events, she was informed that a polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) returned positive results. Loeffler then was tested on Saturday, leading to “inconclusive” results. Lawson had said she was not experiencing symptoms.

Loeffler is competing in a runoff race against Rev. Raphael Warnock on Jan. 5, one of two races in Georgia that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. In the other race, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) faces Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff. 

Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) both announced that they tested positive for the virus this week. Last month, Loeffler tested negative for the virus after two of her staff members received positive test results.