PM Modi posts message to Jair Bolsonaro after Brazil's President tests Covid positive

A night after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wished for his speedy recovery. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, PM Modi extended his best wishes to the Brazilian President. PM Modi had hosted Bolsonaro in India in January earlier this year during the Republic Day celebrations. 

Both the leaders met in January as the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic began in the world. It was the first visit of President Bolsonaro to India and both countries had then inked 15 agreements to boost cooperation to revive the bilateral strategic partnership between the two countries. The two leaders had also conferred during the pandemic, with India sending Covid aid including medicines like Hydroxychloroquine to Brazil, of which Bolsonaro was appreciative.

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Bolsonaro infected by 'little flu'

Bolsonaro had derided coronavirus as just a "little flu," and had previously appeared in public and at rallies without a mask, even hugging supporters. Informing about his COVID positive result to reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, Bolsonaro said: “The number of deaths has increased not because of the virus but because of the fear of the virus. The virus is like the rain, it will hit you.” He concluded by walking backwards approximately 10 steps away from reporters, took off his mask, and gave a thumbs-up." 

The 65-year-old President informed that he felt weak on Sunday, and “it worsened on Monday, with malaise, tiredness, muscle pain, and fever of 38 degrees." "If I hadn’t done the tests and hadn’t been taking chloroquine, I could be contaminating people. Now I have to avoid infecting others,” he added. Notably, Bolsonaro has tested positive days after he celebrated the July 4 weekend with the US ambassador and other top ministers in Brasília.

READ | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tests Coronavirus positive after fourth test

Bolsonaro has tested positive after his fourth test, and earlier in May, Brazil's Supreme Court published documents showing that he tested negative three times in March after meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida. The Brazilian leader hasn't said whether he took any additional tests for the disease since then. Bolsonaro’s previous tests were conducted using pseudonyms, as is customary for medical tests performed on Brazilian leaders in order to preserve their privacy.

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COVID-19 in Brazil 

COVID-19 tally in Brazil has reached 1.67 million and approximately 70 thousand people have died due to the disease, as per Worldometer. The Latin American country has become the second-most virus-affected nation in the world after United States, with its health ministry in shambles due to instability.

While former health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta was fired by Bolsonaro in April, his successor oncologist Nelson Teich resigned in May. Currently, the position of the country’s health minister is temporarily occupied by Army General Eduardo Pazuello who lacks any medical experience. 

READ | Brazil marks 50 days without health minister amid COVID-19 pandemic