Rev. Jesse Jackson's Son Provides Health Update After Parents' COVID Diagnosis
Due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant, which the CDC notes is "more than 2x as contagious as previous variants," in various states, more and more people, including celebrities and politicians, have become infected. Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson was the latest politician to contract the virus. According to CNN, Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline, were hospitalized after they both tested positive for COVID-19 on August 21.
Per the Associated Press, Jackson contracted the virus even though he had been fully vaccinated, whereas his wife was unvaccinated because of a pre-existing condition. Jackson publicly received his first shot in January and urged others to get vaccinated as well. Both of them were admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and a spokesperson for the couple said that they'd "provide updates as they become available."
Now, one week after their hospitalizations, their son Jonathan has provided an update on their conditions.
Rev. Jesse Jackson's COVID symptoms are getting better, son says
Rev. Jesse Jackson has been transferred to a hospital focused on physical rehabilitation after receiving treatment for a breakthrough COVID-19 infection, while his wife, Jacqueline, has been moved to an intensive care unit, according to a statement released by his son on Aug. 27.
In a statement posted on Jackson's Instagram page, son Jonathan Jackson said that his father's COVID-19 symptoms are "abating," but he will need to receive "intensive occupational and physical therapy" at The Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago for his Parkinson's disease, which "has become more in focus" because of the coronavirus. Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2015, per CBS News.
Meanwhile, his mother is in the ICU "where she is not on a ventilator but is receiving increased oxygen and is breathing on her own." Jonathan added, "Both of our parents are continuing to receive excellent medical care. We urge that you continue to keep them in your prayers because we know this is a serious disease."