After Months of Dismissing the Seriousness of Coronavirus Brazil’s President Bolsonaro tests positive
Bolsonaro has described the virus as a “little flu,” and used to appear in public and at rallies without a mask, hugging his supporters.
Speaking on Brazilian TV Tuesday Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced the positive result for Covid-19, following months of downplaying the virus.
The President wearing a mask warned people to not get near him. “You can’t get very close, OK? Recommendation for everyone,” Bolsonaro said. “Everyone knew that it would reach a considerable part of the population sooner or later. It was positive for me,” he said, referring to the test he took Monday.
On Monday outside the presidential palace in Brasília Bolsonaro claimed that he had taken a test and his lungs were “clean”. He said “I’ve done a lung screening, my lung is clean, OK? I went to do a COVID-19 exam a while ago, but everything is okay.”
According to CNN Bolsonaro’s press office told their correspondent
Earlier on Tuesday that the President was being treated with azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine as he awaited the result of his fourth Covid-19 test in four months.
It was reported Monday that Bolsonaro was showing symptoms consistent with Covid-19, including a 38 degree Celsius fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit) although his office told CNN Brasil that his temperature was normal.
Bolsonaro has described the virus as a “little flu,” and used to appear in public and at rallies without a mask, hugging his supporters.
More than 65,000 people have died of the virus in Brazil, according to figures released by the country’s health ministry on Monday, and 1,623,284 cases have been confirmed so far.
Read more about: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pandemics
