Ben Carson says there are ‘multiple possibilities’ for how he got COVID-19

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) chief Ben Carson on Monday said that there were multiple possibilities that could explain his positive diagnosis for COVID-19, which came days after he attended an election night watch party at the White House.

Carson told The Washington Post on Monday that he caught coronavirus “probably somewhere, out there in the universe” but added that he could not be sure of when he was exposed.

“I was on a bus tour last week. I was at the White House on election night, so there are multiple possibilities,” he said, according to the Post.

The HUD director added that he began experiencing symptoms of the virus on Sunday, including a fever and fatigue. One of the longest-serving appointees in President Trump’s administration, Carson was at the White House on Tuesday for an election night event that was also attended by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has also tested positive in the days following.

“I really came down with symptoms yesterday. Fever of 101. Chills. Muscle cramps. Respiratory issues and fatigue,” Carson told the newspaper.

Carson’s diagnosis Monday comes following a spree of positive COVID-19 infections that have caused a stream of negative headlines regarding the White House’s COVID-19 protocols in recent weeks; both Trump and the first lady contracted the virus in October while other White House staff and top allies of the president who visited the White House such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) have also fallen ill.

A longtime adviser to Carson revealed the HUD director’s diagnosis on Twitter earlier Monday.

“Spoke with my brother Dr. Carson earlier and he is doing extraordinarily well. He is so grateful to have access to powerful therapeutics. We also pray for the millions who celebrated over the weekend and may have exposed themselves to COVID19,” Armstrong Williams wrote.