Name: 'I finally got my wish': Sen. Groene, who wants herd immunity, catches coronavirus
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'I finally got my wish': Sen. Groene, who wants herd immunity, catches coronavirus

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Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Please subscribe to keep reading. You can cancel at any time.Loading&amp;hellp;{{title}}{{description}}{{banner}}(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax){{tagline}}{{special_title}}{{html}}You have permission to edit this article.|© 2022 Lee EnterprisesShare This'I finally got my wish': Sen. Groene, who wants herd immunity, catches coronavirusShare thisState Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte acknowledged in an email to his colleagues Monday that he has COVID-19.“As you know, I finally got my wish and contracted the COVID-19 virus,” he wrote in the email. “As I suspected it would happen.”In an interview, Groene said that he wanted it over with and that he wanted herd immunity.The American Medical Association says the country needs about 200 million infected and immunized citizens before the chain of infection can be broken. At this time, there have been more than 10 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and there is no approved vaccine.With cases surging in Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday announced to help slow the spread of the virus.Groene is one of the state senators who does not wear a mask, at least not during the summer session or at numerous hearings he’s attended.He said he thinks he picked up the virus while attending a Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center legislative oversight committee hearing Oct. 23, where contact tracers said he could have been exposed, or an Education Committee hearing Oct. 27.A Department of Health and Human Services contact tracer told him that the last day he would “possibly” need to quarantine would be Tuesday.So he said he could have attend this week’s legislative meeting but is opting not to.Groene said his symptoms were “no more than a minor flu” that lasted 10 days. He had night sweats and an afternoon fever of about 100 degrees for three days. The blessing, he said, is that he was able to catch up on needed sleep and is now invigorated as he prepares for the legislative session, which begins in January.That wasn’t the case for Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus, who contracted the virus in May and with impaired lungs. Still, Groene said he knows a lot of people who are continuing to go about their lives and who don’t live in fear.“I had it, I got over it and everything’s fine,” he said. “I have no unique story. This happens 99.9% of the time.”The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 81% of cases are mild and that even mild cases can have long-term effects.Groene’s disappointment is that it took four days to get his test results back.He said his wife has had no symptoms.Groene said he plans to give blood in the future to aid those who could use the interferon plasma therapy. And he hopes that will encourage others to do the same.Plexiglass dividers were installed in the legislative chamber to help protect lawmakers from COVID-19 in this August 2020 photo.Plexiglass dividers were installed in the legislative chamber to help protect Nebraska lawmakers from COVID-19.State Sen. Megan Hunt listens during debate.Lt. Gov. Mike Foley watches legislative debate.State Sens. Mike Hilgers, left, and Patty Pansing Brooks speak Thursday.State Sen. John Arch talks on the phone Thursday.State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, left, talks with Sen. Lou Ann Linehan on Thursday.Sen. Ernie Chambers, right, talks to Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday, August 06, 2020.Sen. Mike Groene speaks Thursday on the floor of the Legislature.State Sens. Tony Vargas, left, and Brett Lindstrom talk Thursday on the floor of the Legislature.State Sen. Andrew La Grone asks a question of another senator Thursday.State Sen. Rick Kolowski puts on his mask Thursday.State Sen. Jim Scheer, the Speaker of the Legislature, listens to debate Thursday.Media is not allowed on the floor and spectators not allowed in the balcony of the Nebraska Unicameral due to the pandemic on Thursday, August 06, 2020.State Sen. Steve Lathrop speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meatpacking plant workers.A worker cleans the desk where people sit to testify during a Business and Labor Committee hearing Thursday at the State Capitol.A workers cleans the area people speak at in between people testifying at a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meat packing workers in Room 1525 at the Nebraska Capitol on Thursday, August 06, 2020.State Sen. Tony Vargas speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meatpacking workers at the State Capitol.State Sen. Matt Hansen speaks during a committee hearing on protections for meatpacking plant workers.Omaha Bryan teacher Terrence O'Donnel speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meatpacking plant workers Thursday.People are brought in smalls groups to testify at the Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meat packing workers in Room 1525 at the Nebraska Capitol on Thursday, August 06, 2020. The pandemic limited how many people could be in the room at once, so they cycled people in groups to testify.State Sen. Tony Vargas speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on&nbsp;a last-minute amendment he introduced to require meatpacking plants to adopt more safety measures to protect workers from COVID-19Sen. Tony Vargas, left, speaks at a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meat packing workers in Room 1525 at the Nebraska Capitol on Thursday, August 06, 2020.State Sen. Julie Slama asks a question in Spanish to a former meatpacking plant employee. The former worker was testifying Thursday at the State Capitol during at a Business and Labor Committee hearing about protections for meatpacking plant workers.Plexiglass dividers were installed in the legislative chamber to help protect lawmakers from COVID-19 in this August 2020 photo.Plexiglass dividers were installed in the legislative chamber to help protect Nebraska lawmakers from COVID-19.State Sen. Megan Hunt listens during debate.Lt. Gov. Mike Foley watches legislative debate.State Sens. Mike Hilgers, left, and Patty Pansing Brooks speak Thursday.State Sen. John Arch talks on the phone Thursday.State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, left, talks with Sen. Lou Ann Linehan on Thursday.Sen. Ernie Chambers, right, talks to Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday, August 06, 2020.Sen. Mike Groene speaks Thursday on the floor of the Legislature.State Sens. Tony Vargas, left, and Brett Lindstrom talk Thursday on the floor of the Legislature.State Sen. Andrew La Grone asks a question of another senator Thursday.State Sen. Rick Kolowski puts on his mask Thursday.State Sen. Jim Scheer, the Speaker of the Legislature, listens to debate Thursday.Media is not allowed on the floor and spectators not allowed in the balcony of the Nebraska Unicameral due to the pandemic on Thursday, August 06, 2020.State Sen. Steve Lathrop speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meatpacking plant workers.A worker cleans the desk where people sit to testify during a Business and Labor Committee hearing Thursday at the State Capitol.A workers cleans the area people speak at in between people testifying at a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meat packing workers in Room 1525 at the Nebraska Capitol on Thursday, August 06, 2020.State Sen. Tony Vargas speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meatpacking workers at the State Capitol.State Sen. Matt Hansen speaks during a committee hearing on protections for meatpacking plant workers.Omaha Bryan teacher Terrence O'Donnel speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meatpacking plant workers Thursday.People are brought in smalls groups to testify at the Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meat packing workers in Room 1525 at the Nebraska Capitol on Thursday, August 06, 2020. The pandemic limited how many people could be in the room at once, so they cycled people in groups to testify.State Sen. Tony Vargas speaks during a Business and Labor Committee hearing on&nbsp;a last-minute amendment he introduced to require meatpacking plants to adopt more safety measures to protect workers from COVID-19Sen. Tony Vargas, left, speaks at a Business and Labor Committee hearing on protections for meat packing workers in Room 1525 at the Nebraska Capitol on Thursday, August 06, 2020.State Sen. Julie Slama asks a question in Spanish to a former meatpacking plant employee. The former worker was testifying Thursday at the State Capitol during at a Business and Labor Committee hearing about protections for meatpacking plant workers.Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.{{title}}{{summary}}You don't have any notifications.Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.Topics

Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Please subscribe to keep reading. You can cancel at any time.Loading&amp;hellp;{{title}}{{description}}{{banner}}(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax){{tagline}}{{special_title}}{{html}}You have permission to edit this article.|© 2022 Lee EnterprisesShare This'I finally got my wish': Sen. Groene, who wants herd immunity, catches coronavirusShare thisState Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte acknowledged in an email to his colleagues Monday that he has...

'I finally got my wish': Sen. Groene, who wants herd immunity, catches coronavirus

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