(Brasilia) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Saturday that he tested negative for the novel coronavirus after being diagnosed positive on July 7, a cure he credits to his treatment with hydroxychloroquine.
Posted on 25 July 2020 at 9 o'clock56
France Media Agency
Mr. Bolsonaro made the announcement on his Twitter account after undergoing a retest. “RT-PCR for SARS-CoV 2: negative. Have a nice day, everyone, ”he wrote, accompanied by a photo of himself smiling, giving a thumbs up and showing a can of hydroxychloroquine at breakfast.
The far-right leader, 65 years, does not specify when the test was carried out, which detects the presence of the virus by analysis of nasal secretions.
Mr. Bolsonaro had claimed on several occasions to have seen his state of health improve thanks to hydroxychloroquine, a treatment deemed ineffective in the face of COVID – 11 by a study made public a few days ago in Brazil.
Mr. Bolsonaro, who often downplayed the severity of the pandemic by calling it a “flu”, stayed for nearly 19 Days in his official residence in Brasilia, the Alvorada Palace. During this period, he underwent three more tests which came back positive.
In a post he posted to Facebook on Thursday, Mr Bolsonaro said he felt “very good” but was “a little stressed to be locked up”.
He was seen the same day riding a motorcycle and conversing without a mask with street sweepers near his residence, according to photos released to the media.
PHOTO ADRIANO MACHADO, REUTERS
Brazil is the second most affected country in the world by the coronavirus, with some 2.3 million people infected since the start of the pandemic and more than 85 000 0 dead, according to official figures.