
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly contracted COVID-19 and says he's taking hydroxychloroquine as a means to recovery. The 65-year-old confirmed the diagnosis to journalists on Tuesday as he arrived to his presidential palace.
After asking reporters to step aside, Bolsonaro removed his face mask. “See, I am fine. See you next week, God willing.”
WATCH: #Bolsonaro, after testing positive for #coronavirus, steps back and takes off mask while speaking to reporte… https://t.co/ID8oRN47s5— ASB News / WORLD 🌍 (@ASB News / WORLD 🌍) 1594140488.0
Bolsonaro said he was suffering muscle aches, fatigue and a fever but otherwise felt "normal." This is a man who, prior to his diagnosis, repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as "just a little flu" and said the media coverage of the pandemic was "hysteria." He also said, “Life continues. But if the economy doesn’t work it will bring new forms of death and suicide.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that more than 65,000 Brazilians have died from COVID-19 — the second-highest death toll in the world after the United States. An additional 1.6 million people have tested positive for the virus in Brazil. Low levels of testing mean deaths and infections are likely much higher.
With his positive COVID-19 result, Bolsonaro now joins U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The latter two world leaders were hospitalized during treatment.
- Coletiva no Palácio do Alvorada - 07 JULHO de 2020. https://t.co/FCKPt1yh5l— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@Jair M. Bolsonaro) 1594136822.0
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who repeatedly played down the risks of Covid-19, has tested positive He took t… https://t.co/Iszf2BpKG4— BBC News (World) (@BBC News (World)) 1594158931.0
#Bolsonaro: Covid-19 is just a little flu Covid-19: https://t.co/RNQct9GSZ7— Kj3ll0l (@Kj3ll0l) 1594085279.0
Can #Trump please visit #Bolsonaro - without a mask...— Schaltjahr (@Schaltjahr) 1594136478.0
#Bolsonaro (finally) acknowledged grave risk posed by a virus he'd dismissed as just a "little flu." "We know the f… https://t.co/yNRIrR360k— bettemidler (@bettemidler) 1594154498.0
#Bolsonaro tests positive for a virus he doesn't believe in. I really, really, really shouldn't but.... https://t.co/ADuKkf6Csq— A Brit Of Common Sense (@A Brit Of Common Sense) 1594146179.0
@mmpadellan @JSeulement2019 Karma strikes again. I would never wish this virus on my worst enemy but karma doesn't… https://t.co/52SEwt9ocx— Dwayne Walton (@Dwayne Walton) 1594139329.0