SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) -- Former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie is amplifying the importance of wearing masks after he spent a week in the hospital battling COVID-19. He says he was at a higher risk for complications because of his weight and asthma.
Christie says he thought he was in a safe zone at the White House because of all the testing that happens there. But he got the virus anyway, along with several other people, including the president, the first lady, and their son Barron.
“I let my guard down. I made a mistake. I was wrong," he said Friday on "Good Morning America."
"What I want people to learn, more than anything else, is I was doing it right for seven months and avoided the virus. I let my guard down for a couple of days inside the White House grounds, and it cost me in a significant way," he said.
He spent seven days in the intensive care unit at a hospital, and he’s urging all public officials, regardless of party or position, to advocate for every American to wear a mask in public and to follow other guidelines like distancing and hand washing.
“We need to be telling people that there is no downside to wearing masks,” he said.
“I really do think that this virus and the common sense steps to try to help protect each other can bring the country together," he said.
He believes every corner of the country should reopen under these guidelines so people can support their families financially.
He says the amount of testing done at the White House gave him a false sense of security, and after he was infected, it hit him like a freight train. He says he went from feeling fine to receiving treatment at the ICU within 24 hours.
He says people shouldn’t be cavalier about getting the virus or spreading it to other people.