Mexico leader says tested negative after Covid illness

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Thursday that he has tested negative for Covid-19, nearly two weeks after being diagnosed with the virus.

Lopez Obrador, who refused for months to wear a mask or abandon his cross-country tours, was said to have suffered mild symptoms.

"I took an antigen test this morning and it came out negative," said the 67-year-old president, who has a history of heart problems and hypertension, in a video on social media.

Lopez Obrador underwent further testing, but the results were not yet available, authorities told a press conference.

"Of course I still have to wait a few more days, but I am already in good health. I am recovering well from Covid," the president said.

The left-wing populist, who had experienced brief episodes of low-grade fever and a slight headache, announced his illness on January 24.

Mexico has officially registered around 1.9 million coronavirus cases and more than 161,200 deaths, one of the world's highest fatality tolls.