BRASILIA (BLOOMBERG) – Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro showed signs of pneumonia in a possible setback to a recovery from intestinal surgery, according to a hospital statement on Thursday (Feb 7).

Tomography showed progress of the intestine after follow-up surgery late last month but also revealed “images consistent with pneumonia,” the report says.

The real dropped as much as 0.5 per cent against the US dollar and the Bovespa stock exchange deepened losses to 0.7 per cent after the reports.

In a tweet minutes later, Bolsonaro sought to play down any concern.

“Careful with sensationalism. We are very calm, well and continue strong,” he wrote.

On Wednesday night, Bolsonaro had a bout of fever but is now taking new antibiotics, his spokesman told reporters in Sao Paulo.

“I talked to him for an hour on various issues, he was in good spirits, and good physical shape,” said spokesman Otavio Rego Barros.

“He showed good receptiveness to the medication.”

On Thursday, he did breathing exercises and walked in the hallway of the hospital where he has been since Jan 28 for scheduled surgery.

He was originally expected to be discharged on Wednesday but that date was delayed.

The surgery was to reverse a colostomy after he was stabbed by a fanatic on the campaign trail in September.

Then, he had spent a month recovering from abdominal wounds but went on to win the election easily.

He was sworn into office in January.

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