Update: Sen. Dianne Feinstein out of hospital after being treated for shingles
SAN FRANCISCO – After being treated for a shingles infection, Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced Tuesday that she has been released from a Bay Area hospital.
"I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and the hospital staff for providing excellent care," Feinstein said on social media. "I'm recovering at home now while I continue receiving treatment and look forward to returning to the Senate as soon as possible."
Last week, the senator's office announced that she was diagnosed with shingles over the February recess, prompting her to be hospitalized.
The senator's absence has been felt on Capitol Hill, where Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the chamber. With Feinstein and Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania away due to health-related reasons, Vice President Kamala Harris was forced to break multiple tie votes in the Senate.
Feinstein did not give a specific date on when she would return to Washington.
Caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, shingles can often be painful. Age and previous chickenpox infection are risk factors.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of three people in the U.S. will develop shingles over their lifetime and an estimated 1 million Americans get shingles each year.
Feinstein, 89, is the longest-serving woman ever in the United States Senate. After being first elected to the Senate in 1992, Feinstein announced last month that she would not seek re-election in 2024, but plans to serve out her term in office
"Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives. Each of us was sent here to solve problems. That's what I've done for the last 30 years, and that's what I plan to do for the next two years. My thanks to the people of California for allowing me to serve them," she said last month.
