Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive for coronavirus for the third time since July 7, a state official confirmed on Wednesday.
“The test carried out yesterday with the president, on the 21st, showed a positive result,” said a statement from the Ministry of Communications, according to a Reuters report. “President Bolsonaro is still in good condition, accompanied by the presidency’s medical team.”
Bolsonaro was reportedly quarantined at his presidential palace, using Twitter to post images of him feeding birds and eating alone.
BRAZIL SPENDS 2 MILLION CORONAVIRUS CASES, MORE THAN 76,000 FATALITIES
He also said he is taking the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, a drug he has supported since the outbreak began, despite little evidence of its effectiveness.
“From the beginning I was medicated with hydroxychloroquine, with the recommendation of a doctor. I felt better the next day, ”Bolsonaro said last week, according to a Reuters report. “Whether it’s a coincidence or not … it worked for me.”
Brazil has the second highest rate of coronavirus in the world with more than 2.1 million cases and more than 81,000 deaths, second only to the United States, which has reported more than 3.9 million cases and more than 142,000 deaths, according to data from John Hopkins.
But health experts in Brazil believe the reality of the coronavirus infection rate is not reported due to a paucity of evidence.
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“This milestone of 2 million cases, which is greatly underestimated, shows that this could have been different,” Dr. Adriano Massuda, a health official told The Associated Press last week.
“There is no national testing strategy, there are no top-down measures … very little effort to improve basic care, so we found serious cases before they got too serious, with no follow-up,” he added.
Brazil has spent more than two months without a Health Minister after the two previous ministers left their posts, after disagreements with Bolsonaro.
Former Health Minister Nelson Teich, who resigned after just a month on the job, disagreed with Bolsonaro on promoting hydroxychloroquine, along with complying with social distancing orders.
Teich’s predecessor, Luiz Henrique, was fired in April for clashes with Bolsonaro over the coronavirus response and the use of the antimalarial drug.
Bolsonaro has also lobbied to reopen the economy, ignoring warnings from the Health Department and rejecting the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. Although he has been seen wearing a mask since he tested positive for the coronavirus.
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“We know there is no scientific evidence, but it worked for me,” Bolsonaro said on social media last week. “The future will tell if that remedy is effective or not. It was for me. I believe in that. If so, many people were wrong. People with responsibility.
Army General Eduardo Pazuello is currently serving as acting health minister, although he reportedly has no training in the health sector.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
