Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) explains in an interview for iROZHLAS.cz why he went to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, even though he had a whooping cough. “I already had antibiotics,” he defends his participation in the committee, where he arrived without a respirator. On Wednesday, however, he spoke differently. However, he might not explain why he had a respirator at one event this week and not at another. “I can’t quite answer that,” he ran out of words. In addition, someone wanted to correct his answer during the interview.
Conversation
Prague
13:00 14. 3. 2024 (Updated: 14:32 14/03/2024)
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Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (archive photo) | Photo: René Volfík | Source: iROZHLAS.cz
Mr. Mayor, are you being treated for whooping cough?
No. I am cured. I took the full dose of antibiotics, so I am negative and not infectious.
How do you feel now?
Tired, which is logical following an infectious disease.
“I’m just regarding cured of pertussis. I came because I’ve already had six days of antibiotics, so I’m not infectious, as they taught me at school, I hope that’s good. But I’m not well.’
Bohuslav Svoboda (Health Committee, Wednesday March 13)
Are you still coughing?
No, practically not.
You are on Wednesday according to the media he mentioned that you were given new effective antibiotics.
No, I took two antibiotics. I took them behind me to make sure she took it. But I already got them. And as the theory goes, following five days of antibiotics the infection is eliminated.
You said on Wednesday that you have been on antibiotics for six days. So you started taking them sometime last week?
Yes, last week when I was still outside Prague.
The mayor’s agenda?
The iROZHLAS.cz server tried to find out what Svoboda had planned from March 4 to 14. The mayor’s adviser, Petr Pešek, said: “He had a few days off during the period in question and is now recovering from health problems. However, he still managed the most necessary duties, e.g. from the point of view of his security management.” He did not respond to a request for a more specific program.
- Monday 11. 3. – Commencement of repairs to the Barrandovský bridge. No respirator.
- Monday 11. 3. – Council of the head city of Prague. No respirator
- Tuesday 12.3. – Signing the contract with ICORN. With a respirator.
- Wednesday 13. 3. – Health Committee in the House of Representatives. No respirator.
As for the health committee in the House of Commons, where you were on Wednesday. So was it appropriate to go there when you were getting antibiotics?
I already had them completely sorted. So I was cured. I picked them up on Sunday. So from that point of view I was cured.
So was it appropriate to go to a session that lasted over three hours?
It wasn’t something that would put others at risk of infecting them because I’m not infectious.
But some colleagues criticized you on Wednesday at the health committee for not having a respirator. So was the criticism justified?
I think that was a valid complaint. Because a respirator means so much peace of mind for people. And it is difficult to explain medical things, what is and what is not meaningful.
So I accept this criticism. If I had married him, it might have caused less of a stir than it did.
So would you make a different decision now?
Yes, I would marry him. The only problem is that when you have it and blow it yourself, it’s complicated.
A moment with a respirator, a moment without
Last week and this week you attended several events as mayor. I saw video published last Friday from the pilgrimage of three Italian municipalities following the journey of the patron Saint Benedict. You didn’t have a respirator there, but you were already taking antibiotics.
I already had the first antibiotics. And I already took the second one, just to be sure.
So you didn’t need a respirator at this event either? According to the video, there were a lot of people there.
No, I was no longer infectious.
In the end, the video of the event turned out to be approx month oldwhich the mayor did not point out in the interview.
May I ask when you found out you were sick? When did you start taking antibiotics?
I found out regarding 14 days back.
The Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda on Sunday, March 3, at Sparta’s derby with Slavia Photo: Michal Sváček/ MFDNES + LN | Source: Profimedia
You found it 14 days ago. And were you on antibiotics the whole time?
I took them, as I told you, for eight or ten days. What I said still applies. The moment you are on pertussis (whooping cough – editor’s note) if you use antibiotics, within five days there is bordetella (the bacteria that causes the disease – editor’s note) liquidated.
I just found it strange that you were wearing a respirator during the signing of the contract between Prague and the international network of cities ICORN this week on Tuesday. And not on Wednesday. Could you explain what you followed?
There is silence on the other end of the phone for five seconds.
Then a foreign voice says, “Correct, last week.”
I can’t quite answer this. It always depends on who you are with, what you have to explain.
ICORN Executive Director Helge Lunde and Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda signed an agreement between Prague and the international network of cities ICORN on Tuesday, March 12 | Photo: Kateřina Šulová | Source: ČTK
Will you be more careful at some events next time? Would you reconsider your course of action?
No. Everything fits, that’s fine. The only thing I would reconsider is wearing a respirator to a health committee meeting because it would put others at ease because it is seen as something that is effective.
And did all the other events go well? Would you change anything there?
Again.
After seven minutes, the phone rang in the editorial office. The voice of Mayor Svoboda was heard on the other side.
I was just looking to inform you correctly. I found out on the evening of March 5th. And I took antibiotics from that day on, so I had them covered.
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