“The Chinese invented the coronavirus” says Brazil’s Economy Minister

During a meeting of Brazil’s Supplementary Health Board this morning, Economy Minister Paulo Guedes declared that “the Chinese invented the [SARS-CoV-2] virus,” while pointing out that vaccines manufactured by the country are less effective than those made in the U.S.

Mr. Guedes made the remark while arguing that private companies were more efficient than the private sector, quipping that even Nasa’s rockets are privately made, as the state cannot afford it.

The Economy Minister was unaware that the meeting was being broadcast live on the Health Ministry’s social media channels. After he was informed, Mr. Guedes asked for the footage not to be published online.

• #coronavirus