Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment for shingles, she announced Tuesday.
“I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and the hospital staff for providing excellent care. I’m recovering at home now while I continue receiving treatment and look forward to returning to the Senate as soon as possible,” Feinstein said in a statement posted to Twitter.
I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and the hospital staff for providing excellent care. I’m recovering at home now while I continue receiving treatment and look forward to returning to the Senate as soon as possible.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) March 7, 2023
Feinstein, 89, contracted shingles over the Senate’s February recess and was hospitalized in San Francisco, she said in a Thursday statement. The oldest sitting senator, Feinstein has reportedly struggled with short-term memory loss. She will not run for reelection in 2024. (RELATED: Adam Schiff Will Get Big Endorsement From Pelosi In Senate Race… On One Condition)
Shingles is a viral infection that creates painful skin rashes. It occurs when the chickenpox virus reactivates long after a child recovers from the disease. About one in three Americans get shingles, and the illness can cause symptoms ranging from itching to burning pain, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Feinstein did not announce a timetable for her return to the Senate. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has also been hospitalized since mid-February with clinical depression, leaving Democrats without a working majority.