Brazilian President Contracts COVID-19

The president of Brazil Jair M. Bolsonaro tested positive for the novel human coronavirus COVID-19 on June 7th, 2020 after a mask-free Independence Day celebration at the US Embassy.

Just one day later on Wednesday he said, “To those who root against hydroxychloroquine but don’t present alternatives, I hate to say I’m doing very well using it and, thank God, I will still live much longer.” -Via Twitter.

This is despite the fact that medical evidence has not been produced substantially enough to support claims for hydroxychloroquine. In fact, the US National Institutes of Health and WHO both halted investigations and clinical trials for the drug saying that recovery rates for COVID-19 patients were insufficient to support it. Yet, both Trump and Bolsonaro toute this drug as a treatment for the virus and the latter refuses to wear a mask even though a court order required him to do so.

Meanwhile, 1.6 million Brazilians have tested positive for the virus with 66,000 having lost their lives to it.