A group of journalists from Brazil are suing President Jair Bolsonaro after he took off his face mask to speak with the reporters, who were in close proximity.

The president used the press conference to share details about his health following his coronavirus-positive test result.

Speaking to journalists affiliated with TV Brasil, CNN, and TV Record on Tuesday, Bolsonaro revealed that he was treating himself by taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug commonly used to treat arthritis.

His statement comes amid reports the drug does not treat or prevent a person from contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to Business Insider, Bolsonaro, at the end of his statement, moved back a few steps before taking off the microphone attached to his shirt and then casually removed his face mask to continue speaking.

On Tuesday, the Brazilian Press Association announced that it would move to sue the Brazilian president before the Supreme Court over his actions. The association is accusing Bolsonaro of putting the journalists' lives in danger by exposing them to the coronavirus.

The president of the association, Paulo Jeronimo de Sousa, said Bolsonaro continued to act in criminal fashion, despite knowing he was positive with COVID-19 and placed the lives of everyone at the scene at risk.

De Sousa noted that the Brazilian president violated Article 131 and 132 of the penal code, which banned transmitting disease and exposing someone else to the dangers of the illness.

The association president also accused the president of breaking the recommendation issued by doctors to isolate if they are known to have been infected with the deadly virus.

Across the world, health experts have encouraged the public to distance themselves from other people for at least seven days if they have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Endangering the public

The Brazilian president's office did not give a reply when asked to comment on the incident that has fueled criticisms and sparked outrage among the community, as reported by CNN.

After Bolsonaro's confirmed status with COVID-19, officials who have recently been in close contact with the president have been tested in the last two days.

Luiz Eduardo Ramos, the secretary of government; Rogerio Marinho, the regional development minister; and Braga Netto, the chief of staff, have all tested negative for the virus as announced by their offices.

Other officials, who also got tested, are still waiting for the results to see if they contracted the coronavirus.

Bolsonaro previously announced he underwent a lung X-ray after he came down with a fever and experienced muscle pains and feeling of discomfort. By Tuesday, he reassured that he was feeling better and thanked hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that U.S. President Donald Trump supported.

For months, the Brazilian president has undermined the potential of the coronavirus, which has ravaged the country, and caused it to come second to the U.S. in confirmed cases and death toll.

He also noted that the economic impacts of the pandemic far outweighed the deaths of the country's citizens, saying the infection of 70 percent of the nation was inevitable.

The NPR reported that in the early months of the pandemic, Bolsonaro dismissed the disease as a "little flu" as he encouraged businesses to reopen despite several governors calling for social isolation or distancing to curb the spread of the virus.

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