Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he’s taking hydroxycholoroquine to fight COVID-19

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for COVID-19.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who tested positive for COVID-19, said on Facebook Thursday that he was “very good” and again advocated the use of the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine.

Bolsonaro, 65, appeared in his weekly Facebook Live post at his official residence. He appeared to be in good shape and was not accompanied, as is often the case, by ministers or senior officials, and the usual sign language interpreter was not present.

Since the start of the crisis, the far-right president has denied the gravity of the epidemic and criticized the containment measures ordered by the governors of the Brazilian states.

Bolsonaro said that after feeling bad at the end of last week, he started taking one tablet of hydroxychloroquine a day.

The drug, originally tested to fight malaria, has been used as a treatment for COVID-19 in many countries – but its effectiveness has not been officially proven and the problem is deeply divisive in the world of science.

“I say it very clearly,” said Bolsonaro in his video.

“I took hydroxychloroquine and it worked, and I’m fine, thank goodness. And let those who criticize it offer at least one alternative.”

However, he denied having made “propaganda for hydroxychloroquine”.

Brazil is currently the second country hardest hit by the pandemic in the world, behind the United States.

On Thursday, the country reported 69,184 COVID-19-related deaths, an increase of 1,224 in the past 24 hours.

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