Top politicians with Crown, hit hard and purified, or the opposite

What if the top politicians who initially downplayed Corona catch the virus? The cases of Boris Johnson and Jair Bolsonaro are shown, in different ways.

Simon Widmer

Posted today at 13:01

Jair bolsonaro

Hardly any head of state has downplayed the corona virus in a way like Jair Bolsonaro. All scare tactics, the virus is just a “fluzinha”, a flu. there is no reason to worry. For a long time, Bolsonaro vehemently opposed the quarantine measures and cheered on his followers as if there were no viruses. In early July, Bolsonaro announced the positive result of his test. Bolsonaro of all people. The world public reacted with hatred and malice.

The right-wing populist was lucky: His illness turned out well. It was able to continue with official business from quarantine at its official headquarters in the capital Brasilia. The head of state is firmly convinced that the mild course of his illness has something to do with the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. Its effect has not been scientifically proven.

Anyone who thought that personal concern would lead to a policy change was wrong. Bolsonaro continues to minimize and steal responsibilities. It is the mayors and governors who have to order contact bans and protection measures. The conclusion is disastrous. Brazil is the second country with the most deaths (more than 144,000) and the second highest number of infected people (more than 4.8 million) after the United States.

Boris johnson

The British prime minister had to spend a week in hospital after being infected with the corona virus in early April, three days of which in the intensive care unit. Johnson had said several times that his life was sometimes in danger. Johnson’s severe illness in the midst of the Corona crisis had left the UK in shock.

During the pandemic, the 56-year-old changed his political course several times. At first he followed a special European route. He waited with defense measures and wanted to allow 60 percent of the population to become infected with the virus. In this way, a herd immunity must be developed that protects the population from the pathogen. Johnson reviewed this strategy a few weeks later.

After his illness, Johnson finally stopped the experiments and took a cautious course. He loosened the clasp very carefully. And the currently applicable rules are also restrictive compared to Switzerland, for example. Working from home is recommended; no more than six people are allowed to gather in the same place. Bars and restaurants close at 10 pm And while stadiums in Switzerland will be two-thirds full again, the government has suspended the planned opening of sports stadiums to spectators until further notice.

Yaakov Litzman

Former Israeli Health Minister Jaakov Litzman was responsible for putting the Israeli government to work from home in April. He and his wife Chava had been infected, and everyone in the government who was in charge of fighting the virus had to work from home at times.

Due to his ultra-Orthodox belief, Jaakov Litzman did not adhere to the rules of the crown. The 71-year-old is a member of the Ger Hasidic movement. As reported in the media, Litzman went to the synagogue to pray even when it was no longer allowed due to the risk of infection. He also refused to have his fever measured at the swearing-in ceremony in parliament.

Litzman’s disease was mild. After three weeks, he said that he had recovered. Many Israelis blamed him for the fact that the coronavirus had spread rapidly in ultra-Orthodox communities. When schools across the country had to close, synagogues stayed open for a week. Litzman enforced this exception against the advice of experts in his own ministry.

Politically, however, the pressure became too great. On April 25, he presented his resignation as Minister of Health. But he was given a second chance – in May, the ultra-Orthodox politician became Housing Minister in Netanyahu’s next cabinet. But it didn’t last long there either. When Israel introduced a nationwide blockade with sweeping restrictions in mid-September in light of rising coronavirus infections, a scandal erupted: Litzman was already resigning. The measures would prevent hundreds of thousands from praying in the synagogue on the holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the devoted minister wrote in his statement.

Silvio Berlusconi

At the age of 84, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi definitely belongs to the risk group. Concern for the Cavaliere was equally great when it emerged in early September that he had tested positive for Corona. It is not clear how it became infected.

In any case, Berlusconi didn’t think much about social distancing at first. There are photos of celebrations in the village of Berlusconi in Sardinia. All together, without protective masks. A bodyguard and Berlusconi’s new fiancee, Marta Fascina (less at risk because she is only 30 years old), had also been infected.

At first there was great concern for Berlusconi. He himself was taken to a hospital in Milan with mild respiratory problems. It is also said that it was artificially ventilated. But after ten days of treatment in the hospital, he overcame his illness. Thank you for letting me be here. It was the most dangerous test of my life, “he said after leaving the Milan clinic.

Berlusconi was later extremely thoughtful about his circumstances. “I was afraid not to do it,” he told the Italian newspaper “Corriere del Sera.” In the first three days of his stay in the hospital, he had in mind the terrible photos of the hospitals, which everyone had seen, “the intensive care units, the intubated patients,” said the opposition politician.

His experience has definitely influenced his attitude towards Corona: Following his discharge from the hospital, the television mogul called for strict adherence to hygiene measures.

Posted today at 1:01 pm