Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has been hospitalized with Coronavirus. Reuters. Zelensky was diagnosed earlier in the week and had been working from home. Zelensky's staff said it was to protect people from being infected and for better conditions for the president. Three members of Zelensky's staff also tested positive, including his top aide, the finance minster and the defense secretary. Ukraine has seen a spike of cases in the past few months and has had a total of 500,000 cases.
My Comment:
Whenever a world leader comes down with the Coronavirus it's big news. And when that world leader has to go to the hospital it's even bigger news. I have always liked Zelensky as a leader and I am pulling for the man. He's been a decent President for Ukraine, which has had a tough go of it lately.
Zelensky is probably not at high risk. He is pretty young for a world leader at 42 and almost everyone that age survives. Unlike President Trump who was in his 70's when he got infected, there isn't a realistic chance of a bad outcome here. But it's also not impossible, which is why this is a big story.
I don't know how important it is that Zelensky has been hospitalized. It could be just what his government says it is, a precaution and an effort to keep other people safe. But it's also possible that he is sicker than people think. It's not a good sign that he is in the hospital and it might mean that he will have to undergo treatment, just like President Trump did.
Ukraine is smack dab in the middle of the virus's second wave. They are seeing an explosion of cases, like most countries in the northern hemisphere. It's not surprising that Zelensky has gotten sick when so many of his countrymen and women have gotten sick as well.
It's also concerning that Zelensky's staff got sick as well. Especially since the defense secretary was one of them. Though the Ukraine conflict has mostly fallen into the background, there are still embers that could spark up. I'm afraid that the rebels might sense some weakness from the government of Ukraine and may try to start up the war again.
Finally, I doubt that President Zelensky will be the last world leader to catch the Coronavirus. With a vaccine still a ways off I think it's very possible that another world leader will get sick. I doubt anyone will die unless there is a world leader in poor health out there, but I do think that this is a story I will probably have to write again in another context.
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