Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he might have mold in his lungs after isolating indoors for weeks after testing positive for COVID-19.
“I’ve just taken a blood exam. I was a bit weak yesterday. They have also found a bit of an infection. I’m taking antibiotics now,” Bolsonaro said during a live Facebook broadcast. “It must have been those 20 days inside the house. We catch other things. I’ve caught mold, mold in my lungs. It must be that.”
The Brazilian leader’s remarks come the same day as his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
“She is in good health and will follow all established protocols. The first lady is being accompanied by the medical team of the Presidency of the Republic,” Bolsonaro’s office said in a statement.
Bolsonaro first tested positive for the respiratory illness on July 7, and after several subsequent positive tests, finally tested negative for the virus on July 25. During the Facebook address, Bolsonaro hailed hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that President Trump and some doctors have touted as a remedy for treating coronavirus patients even as some health experts remain skeptical of its effectiveness.
“I’m healed from COVID. I have antibodies, no problems. In my particular case, I first thank God, and secondly, the medication prescribed by the presidential doctor: hydroxychloroquine,” he said.
“The following day, I was already OK. If it was a coincidence or not, I don’t know. But it works,” Bolsonaro added.
Brazil’s coronavirus situation has become one of the worst in the world, second only to the United States in the total number of infections. The country has had some 2.6 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 91,200 deaths since the pandemic began.
