This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been in quarantine for nearly a week after testing positive for COVID-19. On Monday, he announced plans to take another test, citing his inability to stand being isolated.
According to Bolsonaro, the test result, scheduled for Tuesday, should be out in a few hours. He expressed his anxiety, stating, “I will wait quite anxiously because I can’t stand this routine of staying at home. It’s horrible,” in a telephone interview with CNN Brazil from his official residence at the Alvorada Palace in Brasília.
Despite his frustration, Bolsonaro claimed to be feeling “very well” and has no fever or problems breathing. He also stated that he has not lost his sense of taste, a common symptom of COVID-19.
“Tomorrow, I don’t know if the new test will confirm (the virus), but if everything is fine, I’ll go back to work. Of course, if it’s the other way around, I’ll wait a few more days,” said Bolsonaro, adding that he hopes to resume his activities within a week at most.
Brazil is the second-worst hit country in the world, with 72,833 deaths and 1.8 million confirmed cases as of Monday.
It is worth noting that Bolsonaro has been a vocal critic of containment measures and has dismissed the seriousness of the COVID-19 epidemic. He has also been taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has been pushed as a treatment for COVID-19 but has not been formally proven effective.
