Argentine leader's test shows COVID; awaits confirmation
Argentine President Alberto Fernández says he had an initial positive test for COVID-19, despite having been vaccinated in January
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine President Alberto Fernández says he had an initial positive test for COVID-19, despite having been vaccinated in January.
Fernández sent a tweet late Friday saying took a quick antigen test for the virus after feeling a headache and experiencing a fever of 37.3 Celsius (99.1 Fahrenheit). He said he otherwise has light symptoms, is isolating and is “physically well.”
He said he is awaiting a confirmation of the result using a more rigorous PCR test
The president received a dose of the Sputnik V vaccine on Jan. 21 and a second dose a few days later.
The Russian Gamaleya Institute that produced the vaccine tweeted that it wished the president a quick recovery, and said the vaccine has a 91.6% rate of effectiveness against infection and 100% against critical cases.
“If the infection is confirmed and occurred, the vaccination assures a rapid recovery without severe symptoms,” it said.
Argentina recently tightened border restrictions due to an upsurge in cases. The nation of some 45 million people has recorded nearly 2.4 million infections, with 56,000 deaths. It has administed more than 4 million doses of vaccine against the disease.