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Brazil's President Bolsonaro: He had long referred to Corona as a "minor flu"
Photo: Alan Santos / dpa
Donald Trump has contracted Corona.
32 days before the US election, this topic will dominate the international news.
But the US president is by no means the first powerful politician whose illness makes headlines.
In the past few months, ministers, party leaders and government leaders around the world have tested positive for the virus.
How the prominent patients dealt with it often also says something about the corona policy in the respective country.
Bolsonaro presented himself as a strong man again after recovering from illness
One of the most famous victims was Jair Bolsonaro.
For months, Brazil’s president was criticized for dealing with the pandemic.
While mass graves for the corona dead have already been dug in the country, Bolsonaro spoke of a "minor flu" in connection with the disease and was cheered by numerous supporters at major events - without mask or keeping their distance.
At the beginning of July, the diagnosis came: Brazil's President has Corona.
The disease took a mild course.
However, Bolsonaro used the quarantine period to reinvent himself.
After surviving the Covid 19 infection, he was able to present himself once more as a strong man and has since presented himself as the savior of the poor in the country.
So Covid-19 did not harm him, instead his survey results were almost never in between.
After illness, Johnson relies on diet and distance
In contrast, the disease was less mild with Boris Johnson.
In the fight against Corona, the British Prime Minister initially relied on a controversial strategy.
He had aimed for "herd immunity", but the corona numbers in Great Britain rose like hardly any other European country.
Eventually the government changed course and took tough measures.
Johnson got infected anyway and spent several days in the intensive care unit.
The illness then seems to have triggered a small change of heart in him.
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Boris Johnson: After recovering from illness, the British Prime Minister relies on distance and movement
Photo: Andrew Parsons / dpa
At the end of July, he had himself photographed while walking his dog and urged his compatriots to do the same: They should keep their distance, stay at home - and exercise more.
Meanwhile, the corona numbers in Great Britain are rising again and photos of Johnson taking a walk have not been in the press for a long time.
France's finance minister: "By no means a harmless disease"
According to his own statements, the French Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Bruno Le Maire is currently also doing without any sporting activities.
The politician went into quarantine for eight days after his illness in September.
This week he reported for the first time in a radio interview with "France Inter" about the course of the disease.
Usually he is someone who jogs 25 to 30 kilometers a week.
"If you want to protect all those you love, please don't behave selfishly and respect security measures."
Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy and Finance
"At the moment I can no longer jog because I had this disease, which is by no means a harmless disease," continued Le Maire.
Covid-19 has taken a very violent course with him, said the minister and used the interview to appeal: "This disease is not like any other. If you want to protect all those you love, then please do not behave selfish and respect the security measures, "he said.
This also shows the strategy of the government in France.
Paris had cracked down on the pandemic and imposed one of the toughest lockdowns in Europe.
Despite the renewed increase in the number of infections, the government is currently shy of nationwide restrictions - also out of concern about the economic consequences.
Instead, France relies on the common sense of the people.
Israeli minister spoke of "God's punishment"
Yaakov Litzman's actions were probably not driven by reason.
In March, the then Israeli Minister of Health said of Corona: "It is God's punishment for homosexuality."
A few weeks later, he and his wife fell ill. The ultra-Orthodox politician had recently prayed together with others, although this violated the hygiene rules that his own ministry had passed.
From May he was no longer health minister in the newly formed cabinet, but housing minister.
He resigned from this office a few weeks ago in protest against the renewed lockdown in Israel.
The temperature curve rose for the Italian party leader
Italy now has the pandemic under better control.
The country was the first in Europe to be massively hit by the corona virus - Italy has brought the situation under control with tough curfews and stricter rules of conduct.
Nicola Zingaretti, head of the Italian ruling party Partito Democratico and president of the Lazio region, was also combative.
He was one of the first prominent politicians to be infected.
Zingaretti fell ill shortly before the lockdown.
He is doing well, it said in a first message.
"Cheers up everyone and see you soon!"
A little later, the politician's temperature rose.
Zingaretti announced on March 7 that he wanted to set a good example by following the doctors' instructions.
Three days later, Italy imposed a lockdown lasting several months.
His recovery then took place after 23 days: "I am cured of the coronavirus, now we are reunited to defeat the beast together," he said.
At that time, the strict measures in the country were showing their first results.
The US is not there yet.
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