Sen. Amy Klobuchar's husband, John Bessler, hospitalized with coronavirus

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced Monday that her husband John Bessler has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

"While I cannot see him and he is of course cut off from all visitors, our daughter Abigail and I are constantly calling and texting and e-mailing," Klobuchar said in a statement. "We love him very much and pray for his recovery. He is exhausted and sick but a very strong and resilient person."

Klobuchar said her husband, who works as a law professor in Baltimore, had quarantined himself and stopped going to work after coming down with cold symptoms. After developing a fever and coughing up blood, he sought medical care and was hospitalized in Virginia due to testing that showed "very low oxygen levels." Bessler, 52, has developed pneumonia and is on oxygen, but does not need a ventilator at this time, according to the statement. He received confirmation that he has coronavirus on Monday morning, five days after taking the test.

"I love my husband so very much and not being able to be there at the hospital by his side is one of the hardest things about this disease," Klobuchar said.

Several members of the U.S. Senate are self-quarantining following interactions with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who tested positive for the virus over the weekend. Among them are Utah Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney. Klobuchar said because she and her husband have not been in the same place for two weeks, her doctors say she is outside the 14-day window for developing systems and does not need a test at this time.

"As everyone is aware, there are test shortages for people who need them everywhere and I don't qualify to get one under any standard," she said.

Klobuchar said she will continue her work in Washington, where lawmakers are negotiating details of a roughly $2 trillion economic stimulus package.