Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Louisiana, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that he has contracted COVID-19 for a second time.
Higgins also said that his wife, Becca, and his son have also contracted the virus.
"We are all under excellent care, and our prognosis is positive," Higgins wrote. "We are very healthy generally speaking, and our treatment of any health concern always encompasses western, eastern, and holistic variables."
In his social media post, Higgins said that he and his wife had previously contracted COVID-19 in early 2020 before the World Health Organization declared a pandemic.
"Becca and I had COVID before, early on, in January 2020, before the world really knew what it was," Higgins wrote. "So, this is our second experience with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) biological attack weaponized virus… and this episode is far more challenging. It has required all of my devoted energy."
Higgins did not say whether his first COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed through testing.
There is no proof to Higgins' claim that China manufactured COVID-19 as a biological attack.
Most health officials believe the virus jumped from animals to humans. However, President Joe Biden has directed intelligence agencies to continue searching for evidence regarding COVID-19's origins — including the theory that the virus may have leaked out of a research lab.
Higgins also asked that the privacy of his family be respected as they recover from the virus.
"I love and respect you all. I am honored and humbled to serve you in Congress. Our mission will continue. My family and I will recover fully. Your prayerful support is felt deep within my family and will never be forgotten," Higgins wrote.
Of his 211 fellow Republicans in the U.S. House, 114 have received a vaccine, according to an analysis released last week by CNN. Former President Donald Trump has said he received the vaccine in January at the White House before his term ended.
Higgins has not publicly said whether he's been vaccinated for COVID-19. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Scripps station KATC in Lafayette, Louisiana.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the country as the highly contagious delta variant spreads.
The agency said the new variant, which was first identified in India, is "potentially more transmissible" than any other strain of COVID-19.
Health experts say the best way to fight against the delta variant is to get vaccinated. Those who are vaccinated have a high degree of protection against the new strain and an even higher degree of protection against hospitalization and death.
Higgins is currently in his third term in Congress, having served since 2017.
This story was originally published by Scripps station KATC in Lafayette, Louisiana.
