Miami Mayor Francis Suarez recently tested positive for the coronavirus and described his first symptoms of being similar to a cold.
Appearing on CNN on Friday, Suarez said he has self-quarantined himself after learning he was infected with the flulike virus the same day.
“Look, I’m starting to feel a little bit of symptoms. You know, it feels similar to the onset of a cold at this particular juncture,” Suarez said from his residence. “Today, I tested positive, so I don’t know how long I’ve had it and for what period it has been incubating.”
The mayor explained that he will be providing updates daily on how he is doing in hopes of reassuring other people who might be panicked about the growing pandemic.
“I want to make sure that people understand that I have it. I’m obviously 42 years old. I don’t have any immunodeficiencies. I’m not elderly, obviously,” he said, “so, my hope is that, by me sharing my experience, it can hopefully calm some people down.”
Suarez tested positive for the virus after he attended a meeting Saturday with Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian officials and several U.S. politicians, including Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Vice President Mike Pence, and President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Bolsonaro’s press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, also tested positive for the illness.
Reports emerged on Friday that Bolsonaro had also tested positive for the coronavirus, but he later said over Twitter that those reports were incorrect and that he wasn’t infected.
The president declared a national emergency at a White House news conference on Friday. There have been at least 2,110 cases and 48 deaths in 48 states.
