COVID-skeptical Brazilian government gives hope to Israeli medicine being developed

A delegation led by Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday to hear about a nasal spray being developed in Israel to treat COVID-19, as well as how Israel’s government and medical facilities are tackling the pandemic fight. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has become known for his skepticism about the new coronavirus and the widely accepted pandemic reactions, while avoiding masks and saying he will not get the vaccine. More than 260,000 people have died in COVID-19 in Brazil, where the outbreak is one of the worst in the world and new, very contagious variants are in full swing, but Bolsonaro has had an Israeli ‘miracle product’ and “the real” solution for the treatment of COVID. The treatment called EXO-CD24, developed by Dr Nadir Arber at the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, combats the extreme reactions by immune systems to COVID-19 that lead to organ failure and death. It has been tested with an inhaler and is being developed as a nasal spray. Of the 35 patients on whom EXO-CD24 was tested, 31 were able to leave the hospital after two to five days of treatment. While the drug performed well at that early stage trial, it was only tested on 35 people, without a placebo group, and no research on it was published in a peer-reviewed journal. In this regard, the senior delegation from Brasilia plans to meet with officials in Ichilov, as well as the Weizmann Institute, Hadassah Hospital.

Bolsonaro’s son and chairman of the Brazilian Senate’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Eduardo Bolsonaro, part of the delegation to Israel, tweeted before his departure that they are on the “mission to conduct phases two and three of clinical trials to Brazil “God bless us,” he wrote in a prayerful emoji. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly publicized the drug since Arber announced his findings in early February, although Netanyahu noted that it is developing further. The delegation is expected to meet with him on Tuesday, with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, International Affairs Adviser Filipe G. Martins, explaining that the delegation was in Israel “for our partnership in the field of science,” deepen technology and innovation, including through collaboration in the development of medicines and vaccines against COVID-19. ” Israeli excellence in various fields, including the development of technologies in the medical field, is known worldwide and I am sure that this visit will yield partnerships that will make a difference in the fight against health. Martins tweeted. During his third official visit to Israel, Arujo led the delegation to Jerusalem on Sunday. The delegation was tested on COVID-19 before leaving Brazil and agreed not to leave the hotel except for the official meetings, due to the pandemic in a semi-quarantine measure. At the Foreign Ministry, where they met with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, the Brazilian delegation had to be reminded to wear masks and keep social distance. Ashkenazi expressed his condolences to the Brazilian people and noted that Israel and Brazil are expanding their partnerships to fight the pandemic. “We will assist Brazil in any way and investigate opportunities to deepen drug research and development and additional solutions to the virus,” he said. Ashkenazi thanked Brazil for opposing the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel. The ICC’s “outrageous” decision to open an investigation “distorts international law and undermines the ability to negotiate between Israel and the Palestinians,” Ashkenazi said. “I thank Brazil for its clear position that the court does not have the jurisdiction to discuss the issue.” Ashkenazi also stressed the importance of a united front against the Iranian threat, which has repercussions outside the Middle East. The foreign minister noted that the 29th anniversary of the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina next week, which was carried out by Hezbollah on behalf of Iran. “We have seen increasing efforts by Iran over the past few days to undermine regional stability,” he said. . “We can clearly see the fingerprints of Iran in recent attempts to hit Israeli targets around the world.” Araújo acknowledged the point and said that ‘the Brazilian constitution is a rejection of terrorism. We have been saying this for some time, but now we want to take action against it and not pretend that it does not exist in our region. This is a top priority for us, because Brazilians need just as much security as Israelis [do]. The Brazilian foreign minister said a stronger bond with Israel was “what the Brazilian people want and what Brazil needs”, and that Israel is a “key partner” in key areas for Brazil, such as technology and agriculture. He highlighted Israel’s advances in green technologies. Araújo praised Israel as an example, as in so many other areas, of the coronavirus pandemic. This wonderful country of yours is at the forefront of vaccinating and fighting the pandemic. ‘With the departure of Araújo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Brazilian journalist asked Ashkenazi about a comparison by a group of Brazilian intellectuals and artists of the COVID situation in Brazil and an’ open-air gas chamber. “I was so sorry to hear that it happened during our meeting,” Ashkenazi said. “I strongly condemn this language, this example. It is something outrageous. We are not only opposed to it in the Brazilian example. The use of this language is something that is unacceptable.” Eduardo Bolsonaro tweeted that the people making the comparison are “unscrupulous leftists,” saying, “To compare the national scenario of the Holocaust pandemic is to ignore history, to despise the suffering of the Jews, and to attack the actions of the Bolsonaro government, especially at this moment when there is an official delegation from Israel seeking remedies to combat COVID. ‘