RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday, March 20th, that he may undergo a third test to determine if he is infected by the novel coronavirus, and mentioned the chance that he had already been infected.
So far, 22 people who took part in Bolsonaro’s trip to the United States earlier this month tested positive for the virus.
“I’m fine. I’ve been tested twice. Maybe I’ll take one more test. I get medical advice,” said Bolsonaro, outside the Alvorada Palace.
Bolsonaro still raised the possibility that he had been infected by the virus and was unaware:
“Here at home, the whole family tested negative. Maybe I was infected back then and I didn’t even know about it. Maybe. And I have antibodies”.
Bolsonaro was first tested on March 12th after Media Secretary Fabio Wajngarten was diagnosed with the virus. The second test was conducted last Tuesday.
After being tested, however, the president had contact with at least one person who was diagnosed with the virus: the Minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI), Augusto Heleno.
On Wednesday, after the release of Heleno’s result, Bolsonaro had already said he saw no problems in taking a new test:
“No problem at all. I don’t know the minimum deadline, (Health Minister Luiz Henrique) Mandetta can tell me when I can take a new test. No problem at all, I can take a new test”.
On Friday, four more members of the delegation that travelled to the US were reported to be infected with the virus: Major Cid’s assistant orderly; Filipe Martins, the deputy chief advisor to the Presidency; Carlos França and the deputy director of the Security Department, Colonel Gustavo Suarez. The new cases were confirmed by Bolsonaro on Friday morning.