Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin dies from COVID-19 complications

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: WJHL

Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin (R-Lebanon) died Friday from COVID-19 complications, the senator’s office confirmed Friday night.

Chafin had been hospitalized at VCU Medical Center for two weeks, according to a news release.

The Russell County native represented the 38th District, which includes several Southwest Virginia counties. He first served in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2013 before being elected to the state Senate in 2014. Voters re-elected Chafin in 2019.

In a statement, Gov. Ralph Northam said “we have all lost a good man.” Del. Terry Kilgore called Chafin a true leader and a strong advocate for Southwest Virginia. U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith said Chafin was a “dedicated public servant” who cared deeply for the people of Southwest Virginia.

Read more: https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/virginia-state-sen-ben-chafin-dies-from-covid-19-complications/

[sfstaxprep]

1. Sorry, No Thoughts Or Prayers To Give nt

[jimfields33]

4. Governor Northam did just that.

Not sure why. Maybe behind the scenes they were friendly.

[Roy Rolling]

2. Not Gonna Be a Hypocrite

I’m not gonna pour out sympathy for those who willingly risk their lives by being an example of stupidity in leadership.

If they want recognition for leadership, it should be for their leadership example of choosing to listen to Dr. Trump instead of Dr. Fauci. He shoulda worn a goddamn mask— that should be carved on his tombstone.

[pazzyanne]

3. That's a Republican Senate loss AND a loss in the House of Representatives.

Luke Letlow from Louisiana passed away less than a week ago. Wonder when Republicans will start wearing a mask.

Dr. Fauci's recomendations:

“Obviously, with a 90-plus percent effective vaccine, you could feel much more confident” about not getting the virus, Fauci told Tapper. “But I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you have been vaccinated.” Those fundamentals include: universal wearing of masks, maintaining physical distance, avoiding large crowds, doing more outdoor activities and washing hands frequently.

Because “even though, for the general population, it might be 90[%] to 95% effective,” said Fauci, “you don’t necessarily know, for you, how effective it is.” Even at those success rates, about 5% to 10% of people immunized may still get the virus.

“In addition, the protective effect of a vaccine may take at least one month, if not slightly longer,” says Dr. David Ho, a virologist working on developing monoclonal antibody therapies for Covid-19 at Columbia University. (So far, Pfizer said early results showed its two-dose vaccine showed 90% effectiveness seven days after the second dose. Early data on Moderna’s two-dose vaccine showed 94.5% efficacy two weeks after the second dose.)

“Therefore, for the foreseeable future, we will need to continue our mitigation measures, including wearing masks,” Ho says, noting that precautionary measures will likely last “for much of 2021.”

[Rebl2]

8. Senate

loss in state house, not senate in DC ?

[Maxheader]

5. Wingers expect perfection...

From what they consider liberal laws..

Gun control laws that might save thousands of lives? Worthless in theys

eyes if one person gets robbed cuz they had no assault gun...Gonna mandate

shit they don't want? Better be 100% effective or they won't do it..

[niyad]

6. Does anybody know if he observed the protocols? Did he mask?

[not fooled]

7. Yeah, the linked article is significantly deficient

by not covering whether he observed safety measures. But, giving pukes a pass probably goes with the territory.

[twodogsbarking]

9. Every death is a tragedy

and a statistic.

[Hortensis]

12. And a target for rotten partisan tomatoes. He was married 28 years

years and 60 when he died. Some people are missing him.

[Gothmog]

10. This idiot refused to wear a mask

Link to tweet

[tenderfoot]

11. He did agree to expand Medicaid...

so there's that. Rest in Peace Sen. Chafin.

A senator since 2014, Chafin, 60, had been hospitalized for about two weeks with the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

“Southwest Virginia has lost a strong advocate — and we have all lost a good man,” Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said in a written statement. “He pushed hard to bring jobs and investment to his district, and I will always be grateful for his courageous vote to expand health care for people who need it.”

Northam ordered state flags lowered in his honor.

Chafin (Russell) was among a handful of Senate Republicans who agreed to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in 2018.

Blocking expansion of the law also known as Obamacare had long been a rallying cry for the legislature’s conservatives, but Chafin said it would provide desperately needed health care in his coal country district, among the poorest in the state.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-state-senator-dies-of-covid-19/2021/01/01/6e3a574c-4ca2-11eb-a9f4-0e668b9772ba_story.html