Vermont Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist. (Hillary Swift/Getty)
Leading LGBT+ community leader and lawmaker Christine Hallquist, the trans woman who ran for Vermont governor in 2018, has tested positive for coronavirus.
Hallquist, 64, was the first openly trans major-party nominee for governor in the US, sweeping 40 per cent of the vote in the Democratic nominations.
The former gubernatorial candidate, who lost the general election to incumbent Republican Phil Scott, revealed Friday afternoon that she has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the delicate but deadly virus paralysing the US.
Around 680 Vermonters have tested positive for coronavirus at the time of writing, while 24 have died.
Christine Hallquist: ‘This is my first day fever-free all week.’
In a Facebook post, Hallquist said: “I just got a call from the nurse.
I just got the call from the nurse. I was tested last Sunday for COVID-19. Today, I received confirmation that the test…
Posted by Christine D Hallquist on Friday, April 10, 2020
“I was tested last Sunday for COVID-19.
“Today, I received confirmation that the test came back positive.
“I do have the virus. It has been a brutal week of illness. I think I may be through the worst of it.
“This is my first day fever-free in a week. ”
She told Seven Days that she has “never experienced anything that comes close to this.
“I’ve never been this sick.
“Every day it’s touch and go. The fever was running 101 to 103 nonstop.
“Every day you get up thinking you would be better, but you weren’t.”
The coronavirus crisis shows how ‘flawed’ US health system is, says trans politician.
As countless Americans are sickened by coronavirus each day, the impact of the pandemic has pelted the US health system, one that, Hallquist said, was unprepared for the outbreak.
The length of time between her test and diagnosis is “a reflection of how flawed our health system is,” she said.
“It takes 5 days to get your test results back, but meanwhile you’re sick as a dog.”
Hallquist has previously been staying in central New York with her elderly mother. But after showing symptoms, she ricocheted last Saturday to her sister’s apartment.
Her sister, she explained, is now living with their mother.