Brazil's president says hydroxychloroquine to cure his virus

 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he is confident that he will swiftly recover from new coronavirus thanks to treatment with hydroxychloroquine, anti-malaria drug that has t been proven effective against COVID-19.

Bolsonaro said he tested positive for new coronavirus on Tuesday after months of downplaying its severity while deaths mounted rapidly inside country.

president told reporters he underwent a lung X-ray on Monday after experiencing fever, muscle aches and malaise. As of Tuesday, his fever h subsided, he said, and he attributed improvement to hydroxychloroquine.

He stepped back from journalists and removed his mask at one point to show that he looked well.

65-year-old right-wing populist who has been kwn to mingle in crowds without covering his face confirmed results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters huddled close in front of him in capital, Brasilia.

“I'm, well, rmal. I even want to take a walk around here, but I can't due to medical recommendations,” Bolsonaro said.

Later Tuesday, he posted a video to Facebook of him taking his third dose of hydroxychloroquine, which has also been promoted by President Donald Trump..

“Today I’m a lot better, so certainly it’s working,” Bolsonaro said, downing dose with a glass of water. “We kw today re are or remedies that can help fight coronavirus. We kw ne of m have ir efficacy scientifically proven, but I’m one more person for whom this is working. So I trust hydroxychloroquine. And you?”

Brazil, world's sixth-biggest nation, with more than 210 million people, is one of outbreak's most lethal hot spots. More than 65,000 Brazilians have died from COVID-19, and over 1.5 million have been infected.

Both numbers are world’s second-highest totals, behind those of U.S., though true figures are believed to be higher because of a lack of widespre testing. On Tuesday alone, 1,254 deaths were confirmed.

Or world leers who have h bouts with COVID-19 include British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Britain's Prince Charles, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.

Bolsonaro is “ democratic leer who has most denied seriousness of this pandemic,” said Maurício Santoro, a political science professor at State University of Rio de Janeiro. "Him getting infected is a blow to his credibility. It will be seen as ar example of failure of his coronavirus response.”

Bolsonaro has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds, at times without a mask. He has said that his history as an athlete would protect him from virus and that it would be thing more than a “little flu” if he were to contract it.

He has also repeatedly said that re is way to prevent 70% of population falling ill with COVID-19 and that local authorities' efforts to shut down ecomic activity would ultimately cause more hardship than allowing virus to run its course.

For nearly two months, Brazil’s fight against COVID-19 has been in hands of an interim health minister with health experience before April. He took over after his predecessor, a doctor and health care consultant, quit in protest over Bolsonaro’s support for hydroxychloroquine.

Brazilian cities and states last month began lifting restrictions that h been imposed to control spre of virus, as deaths began to decline along with caselo in intensive care units.

Bolsonaro supporter Silas Ribeiro said on streets of Rio that president is correct in saying dangers of virus have been exaggerated.

“Our president is a popular man. He is showing that he isn’t afraid to die,” said Ribeiro, 59. “He is going to have health and get through this sickness.”

Speaking near recently reopened shops in Rio, Wesley Morielo said he hopes Bolsonaro's sickness prompts him to reassess his stance.

"I think everything he said before, of t giving importance to COVID-19, came back against him,″ said Morielo, a 24-year-old student.

World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, wished Bolsonaro a speedy recovery and said his infection “brings home reality of this virus" by showing that it doesn't distinguish between “prince or pauper.”

Bolsonaro has repeatedly visited hospital since taking office, requiring several operations to repair his intestines after he was stabbed on campaign trail in 2018.

He said he canceled a trip this week to Brazil's rast region and will continue working via videoconference and receive rare visitors when he needs to sign a document.

Unlike Britain's prime minister, who moderated his rhetoric after testing positive for virus, Bolsonaro will probably t change his stance, said Leandro Consenti, a political science professor at Insper, a university in Sao Paulo.

“He's going down a path of trying to indicate to his base of support that COVID-19 is just a little flu and take vant of illness to vertise for chloroquine,” Consenti said.

Over weekend, Brazilian leer celebrated American Independence Day with U.S. ambassor to Brazil, n shared pictures on social media showing him in close quarters with diplomat, several ministers and aides. ne wore masks.

U.S. Embassy said on Twitter that Ambassor Todd Chapman is t showing any symptoms but would be tested.

Bolsonaro tested negative three times in March after meeting with Trump in Florida. Members of his delegation to U.S. later reported becoming infected.