Senator Josee Forest-Niesing returns home after month in hospital battling COVID-19

OTTAWA – A senator who contracted COVID-19 despite receiving a double vaccine has returned home after a month in hospital.

However, Senator Josee Forest-Niesing is facing the possibility of a lengthy recovery due to a history of lung problems.

In a statement from her office, Forest-Niesing revealed that she has struggled with an autoimmune condition affecting her lungs for more than 15 years.

Because her pre-existing condition makes her particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, Senator Sudbury, 56, received two doses of the vaccine earlier this year as soon as possible.

But the statement said she had been warned that her health condition would reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.

However, Forest-Niesing believes her fight against COVID-19 “would be a lot different” if she hadn’t been vaccinated.

She praised the care she received at Health Science North in Sudbury for a month before returning home on Saturday.

“Hospitalization is never easy, but when it comes to empathy and human contact, it makes all the difference,” the statement read.

She also thanked everyone who had wished her a speedy recovery, saying the “mental support” she received gave her “energy to face a huge health challenge.” this big.”

Forest-Niesing was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2018. She is a member of the Independent Senators Group.

This Canadian Press report was first published on November 16, 2021.