Alaska Rep. Don Young returns to congressional office after recovering from COVID-19

U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, has returned to work at his office in Washington, D.C. after recovering from COVID-19, his office said.

Young, 87, is “preparing to fight harder than ever” for Alaskans, said Zack Brown, a spokesman for Young.

The 47-year veteran of Congress and the longest-serving Republican in congressional history announced on Nov. 12 that he’d tested positive for the virus.

The coronavirus has killed more than 270,000 people in the U.S.

Young early in the pandemic had dismissed the coronavirus as the “beer virus,” but later said he did not grasp its severity. After his release from an Anchorage hospital on Nov. 16, he said he hadn’t felt so sick in a very long time.

Voters last month reelected Young, Alaska’s lone U.S. representative, to serve his 25th term in office.