Russian President Vladimir Putin has not stopped coughing during a virtual meeting with his government ministers, leading to questions about the possibility of him being infected with the coronavirus. A video clip showed Putin repeatedly coughing during the official meeting, causing him to place his hand over his mouth as the ministers were sharing their input.
Putin's continual coughing drew the attention of the participating ministers, and a Russian official expressed concern for his well-being. Putin responded, “Don’t worry, everything is fine.” He mentioned that he undergoes daily tests not only for the coronavirus but for other diseases as well, assuring that everything seemed good.
He believed that the issue was related to his practice of exercising outdoors, which is characterized by cold weather during this time of the year in Russia. Speculation about a potential COVID-19 infection intensified when he withdrew from a scheduled G20 meeting on Afghanistan, as reported by the British newspaper "Daily Mail."
In response to these speculations, Putin (69 years old) downplayed health concerns, affirming that his immunity is strong and explaining his absence from the G20 summit due to a busy schedule. Last September, Putin had to go into a two-week quarantine after some of his close aides tested positive for COVID-19.
He stated that the "Sputnik" vaccine protected him from contracting the virus, even though he had worked closely all day with an assistant who tested positive. The Russian president has received two doses of the vaccine that his country has distributed to several nations worldwide.
