Bolsonaro has virus, credits God and hydroxychloroquine

FPI / July 10, 2020

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Tuesday he had tested positive for coronavirus and that he was taking hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to combat the virus.

“Today I’m a lot better, so certainly it’s working,” the 65-year-old said in a Facebook video posted Tuesday night, where he is seen taking a dose of the drug.

On Wednesday, Bolsonaro said: "To those who cheer against hydroxychloroquine, but do not have alternatives, I regret to inform you that I am very well with its use and, with the grace of God, I will live for a long time to come."

Bolsonaro said he trusted his use of hydroxychloroquine: “We know today there are other remedies that can help fight the coronavirus. We know none of them have their efficacy scientifically proven, but I’m one more person for whom this is working. So I trust hydroxychloroquine. And you?”

Researchers at the Henry Ford Health System in Southeast Michigan reported last week they have found that early administration of hydroxychloroquine makes hospitalized coronavirus patients substantially less likely to die.

The study, published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, determined that hydroxychloroquine provided a "66 percent hazard ratio reduction," and hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin a 71 percent reduction, compared to neither treatment.

The Trump campaign hailed the study as "fantastic news," saying in a statement: "Fortunately, the Trump Administration secured a massive supply of hydroxychloroquine for the national stockpile months ago. Yet this is the same drug that the media and the Biden campaign spent weeks trying to discredit and spread fear and doubt around because President Trump dared to mention it as a potential treatment for coronavirus."

Bolsonaro, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, compared the virus to a rain that will fall on most people, and that some, like the elderly, must take greater care, according to The Associated Press.

“You can’t just talk about the consequences of the virus that you have to worry about. Life goes on. Brazil needs to produce. You need to get the economy in gear,″ he said.

The Brazilian leader also congratulated Trump on his historic Mt. Rushmore speech.

Bolsonaro tweeted on July 4: "I'd like to congratulate President @realDonaldTrump and the people of the USA on the 244th anniversary of their independence. As the leaders of the two largest Western democracies, we work to advance the ideals of freedom, democracy and human dignity that this day represents."

Bolsonaro added: "I also want to greet my friend @realDonaldTrump for the courageous speech he delivered yesterday. Those were the words of a great statesman. May the legacy and the values ​​of the Founders of this great nation endure and be kept from the evil intentions of radicals."

Free Press International