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Bolsonaro Hails Anti-Malaria Pill Even as He Fights Coronavirus Bolsonaro Hails Anti-Malaria Pill Even as He Fights Coronavirus
(7 days later)
RIO DE JANEIRO — President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil has been presenting an image of resilience and vigor as he fights the coronavirus, flashing smiles and thumbs-up, posting on social media — and enthusiastically promoting the drug hydroxychloroquine.RIO DE JANEIRO — President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil has been presenting an image of resilience and vigor as he fights the coronavirus, flashing smiles and thumbs-up, posting on social media — and enthusiastically promoting the drug hydroxychloroquine.
His attitude during convalescence is consistent with his widely-discredited contention that the virus poses little threat to people who are healthy, and his endorsement of the drug, though studies have found no evidence that it works on Covid-19 patients, but have shown possible danger in taking it.His attitude during convalescence is consistent with his widely-discredited contention that the virus poses little threat to people who are healthy, and his endorsement of the drug, though studies have found no evidence that it works on Covid-19 patients, but have shown possible danger in taking it.
“I’m doing much better than I was,” Mr. Bolsonaro, 65, said in a video posted Tuesday night as he washed down a dose of hydroxychloroquine with water. “It’s working.”“I’m doing much better than I was,” Mr. Bolsonaro, 65, said in a video posted Tuesday night as he washed down a dose of hydroxychloroquine with water. “It’s working.”
Mr. Bolsonaro acknowledged that there are no drugs scientifically proven to treat Covid-19, but he said: “I’m one more person it’s working on. I trust hydroxychloroquine.”Mr. Bolsonaro acknowledged that there are no drugs scientifically proven to treat Covid-19, but he said: “I’m one more person it’s working on. I trust hydroxychloroquine.”
In the United States, the National Institutes of Health in June stopped a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine, saying the drug did not work, and the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in May, explaining that the medication can cause dangerous abnormalities in the heart rhythm of coronavirus patients.In the United States, the National Institutes of Health in June stopped a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine, saying the drug did not work, and the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in May, explaining that the medication can cause dangerous abnormalities in the heart rhythm of coronavirus patients.
The president’s illness, which he disclosed on Tuesday, has reignited debate over the government’s handling of the pandemic: Mr. Bolsonaro has downplayed the danger posed by the virus, encouraged Brazilians to brush aside quarantine measures adopted by states, and urged Brazilians to continue working.The president’s illness, which he disclosed on Tuesday, has reignited debate over the government’s handling of the pandemic: Mr. Bolsonaro has downplayed the danger posed by the virus, encouraged Brazilians to brush aside quarantine measures adopted by states, and urged Brazilians to continue working.
The virus has infected more than 1.7 million people and killed about 68,000 patients in Brazil, and it is not slowing down. On Tuesday, the country reported 45,305 new infections and 1,254 deaths.The virus has infected more than 1.7 million people and killed about 68,000 patients in Brazil, and it is not slowing down. On Tuesday, the country reported 45,305 new infections and 1,254 deaths.
The president’s critics, including health experts, fear that his insistent endorsements of hydroxychloroquine will encourage many more people to take it, while not taking precautions to avoid infection. And if Mr. Bolsonaro recovers quickly without serious complications, they say, it would add to that false sense of invulnerability.The president’s critics, including health experts, fear that his insistent endorsements of hydroxychloroquine will encourage many more people to take it, while not taking precautions to avoid infection. And if Mr. Bolsonaro recovers quickly without serious complications, they say, it would add to that false sense of invulnerability.
In an editorial, the newspaper O Globo called Mr. Bolsonaro’s latest statement “irresponsible marketing” for a drug that can have dangerous side effects in patients with heart conditions.In an editorial, the newspaper O Globo called Mr. Bolsonaro’s latest statement “irresponsible marketing” for a drug that can have dangerous side effects in patients with heart conditions.
His stance is a lonely one among major world leaders. Even President Trump, who for months enthusiastically promoted hydroxychloroquine, took it for only two weeks and mentioned it less often after studies cast doubt on it.His stance is a lonely one among major world leaders. Even President Trump, who for months enthusiastically promoted hydroxychloroquine, took it for only two weeks and mentioned it less often after studies cast doubt on it.
With symptoms that appear mild so far, Mr. Bolsonaro showed no sign that testing positive for the virus had made him any less dismissive of the merits of social distancing, mask wearing and other measures that have enabled other countries to rein in transmission and save lives.With symptoms that appear mild so far, Mr. Bolsonaro showed no sign that testing positive for the virus had made him any less dismissive of the merits of social distancing, mask wearing and other measures that have enabled other countries to rein in transmission and save lives.
Despite his apparent confidence, Mr. Bolsonaro is not out of danger. It often takes about a week after symptoms emerge for Covid-19 cases that become serious to shift for the worse.Despite his apparent confidence, Mr. Bolsonaro is not out of danger. It often takes about a week after symptoms emerge for Covid-19 cases that become serious to shift for the worse.
Updated July 15, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Nelson Teich, a doctor who stepped down as health minister in mid-May, less than a month into the job, warned in a column published Wednesday that the country is in dire need of a data-driven strategy to reopen the economy while mitigating risks.Nelson Teich, a doctor who stepped down as health minister in mid-May, less than a month into the job, warned in a column published Wednesday that the country is in dire need of a data-driven strategy to reopen the economy while mitigating risks.
“We’re in a race against time,” he wrote in an article published in O Globo under the headline “It’s Almost like Waiting for a Miracle.”“We’re in a race against time,” he wrote in an article published in O Globo under the headline “It’s Almost like Waiting for a Miracle.”
“The longer the quarantine lasts,” he added, “the harder it will be to manage the consequences of the impact of Covid-19 in the health sector, the economy and people’s behavior.”“The longer the quarantine lasts,” he added, “the harder it will be to manage the consequences of the impact of Covid-19 in the health sector, the economy and people’s behavior.”
Mr. Bolsonaro’s leadership during the pandemic has been criticized at home and abroad as among the most disastrous in the world. The country’s infection and death totals are second only to those of the United States. Brazil’s contagion rate remains high, and may spike higher as restaurants, bars and gyms are reopening.Mr. Bolsonaro’s leadership during the pandemic has been criticized at home and abroad as among the most disastrous in the world. The country’s infection and death totals are second only to those of the United States. Brazil’s contagion rate remains high, and may spike higher as restaurants, bars and gyms are reopening.
Since mid-May, the health ministry has been run by an active-duty army general with no public health background, who acquiesced to Mr. Bolsonaro’s demand that hydroxychloroquine be included in the protocol to treat Covid-19 patients in Brazil. Mr. Bolsonaro’s two former health ministers resisted that move, regarding it as irresponsible.Since mid-May, the health ministry has been run by an active-duty army general with no public health background, who acquiesced to Mr. Bolsonaro’s demand that hydroxychloroquine be included in the protocol to treat Covid-19 patients in Brazil. Mr. Bolsonaro’s two former health ministers resisted that move, regarding it as irresponsible.
Yet the president on Wednesday held out Brazil’s response as exemplary.Yet the president on Wednesday held out Brazil’s response as exemplary.
“No country in the world has done what Brazil has,” he wrote in a message on Twitter. “We saved lives and jobs without creating panic, which also leads to depression and death. I always maintained that the fight against the virus could not have a collateral effect worse than the virus itself.”“No country in the world has done what Brazil has,” he wrote in a message on Twitter. “We saved lives and jobs without creating panic, which also leads to depression and death. I always maintained that the fight against the virus could not have a collateral effect worse than the virus itself.”