Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office confirmed Thursday that the 89-year-old’s shingles complications were far more serious than previously known.
The revelation came on the heels of a New York Times report revealing that Feinstein’s shingles had spread to her face and neck, “causing vision and balance disorders and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome” and a previously unreported case of encephalitis, a rare disease. but potentially debilitating complication that causes inflammation of the brain.
Adam Russell, a Feinstein spokesperson, said in a statement that the encephalitis “resolved itself shortly after she was released from the hospital in March.” She still has complications from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Russell added in the statement, which came after the Times story was published.
Here’s everything we know about Feinstein’s health and its impact on her work in the Senate, gathered from original reporting and Yahoo News partners, including the Times, Washington Post and others.
How Rare Are Feinstein’s Complications?
Terribly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shingles affects one-third of Americans.
But Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis are much less common and can be serious.
Michael Wilson, a physician specializing in encephalitis at the University of California San Francisco, told the Washington Post that the risk of post-shingles encephalitis is about “one in a thousand.”
Symptoms of encephalitis include “fever, headache, sensitivity to light or sound, neck stiffness or even seizures, and loss of consciousness,” says the paper.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome – which is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles – is also very rare. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s more common in older adults, most often in people over the age of 60.
But younger people can also get it. Last year, 29-year-old Justin Bieber announced he was suffering from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which paralyzed one side of his face and forced him to postpone his tour.
How long was Feinstein gone?
Feinstein, who serves on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, returned to Washington last week after months away from the Senate as she recovered from shingles, which was diagnosed in February. The same month, the six-term California Democrat announced she will not be seeking re-election in 2024.
Her extended furlough caused concerns among Democrats about missed votes and led to numerous calls to resign. Her absence from the Judiciary Committee held back President Biden’s judicial appointees and undermined the panel’s ability to issue subpoenas to investigate the Supreme Court’s numerous allegations of corruption.
Feinstein said last month her return was “delayed due to ongoing complications” from her shingles diagnosis and that her doctors had not given her permission to travel. She also asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to “allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve on the panel” until I can resume my committee work.
What happened when she went back to work?
When she finally returned to Capitol Hill, she was found to be remarkably weak.
“Using a wheelchair, with the left side of her face frozen and one eye nearly closed, she appeared disoriented when an aide ushered her down the marble corridors of the Senate, audibly complaining that something was in her eye,” the Times reported. .
And speaking to a small group of reporters a few days later, Feinstein seemed confused when asked about the well-wishes she had received from her Senate colleagues since her return.
“I haven’t been gone,” she said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I’ve been here. I voted. Please, know or don’t know.”
The exchange did little to quell calls for Feinstein to resign, which she has resisted.
“The senator still sees the job as her calling and is no more open to a conversation about resigning than she was in 2018, when she decided to seek another term despite questions about her mental acuity,” the New York Times said. “People close to her privately joke that she might consider resigning when Feinstein is dead.”
“I’m back in Washington, voting and attending committee meetings as I recover from complications associated with a shingles diagnosis,” Feinstein said in a statement Thursday. “I keep working and getting results for California.”
Who’s running to replace her?
Feinstein is not running for re-election next year and three prominent Democratic representatives are vying for her seat.
Barbara Lee, 76, has been a member of Congress since 1998, representing the Bay Area. Lee was the only congressman not to vote to authorize military force after the September 11 attacks and has received a slew of messages of support from progressives, the Congressional Black Caucus, and top California officials such as the attorney general and mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Katie Porter, 49, entered Congress in the 2018 wave, representing an Orange County district more competitive than those represented by her Senate rivals. Entering Congress, she quickly established a reputation as a tough interrogator in committee hearings. Porter recently released a memoir and received the endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who was her professor at Harvard Law School.
Adam Schiff, 62, has represented a Los Angeles district since 2001 and was the lead manager of former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. The former House Intelligence chairman has won the endorsement of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and nearly two dozen other California House members, in addition to holding a significant advantage over his opponents.
