São Paulo mayor Bruno Covas transferred to ICU and intubated after stomach bleeding

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The mayor of São Paulo stepped down from office on Sunday to focus exclusively on cancer treatment.

São Paulo’s mayor on leave, Bruno Covas (PSDB), was transferred on Monday, May 3rd, to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), in the central region of the São Paulo capital, and was intubated after tests detected bleeding in one of the organs affected by the cancer the mayor has been battling since November 2019.

Covas was admitted to the Sírio Libanês hospital on Sunday, 5 days after being discharged from the same institution. He had been previously hospitalized since April 15th for cancer treatment, when he underwent chemotherapy along with immunotherapy after new tumors were discovered in his liver and bones while undergoing routine tests.

The decision for ICU transfer was made after an endoscopy exam detected that the bleeding was caused by an ulcer, in the region of the original tumor in the cardia. According to the medical report, the bleeding is “being controlled with local hemostasis measures.”

“Mayor Bruno Covas was referred to the Intensive Care Unit undergoing orotracheal intubation and receiving the appropriate clinical support measures,” reads the report signed by physicians Fernando Ganem and Angelo Fernandez.

“The mayor is being monitored by medical teams coordinated by Professor Doctor David Uip, Doctor Artur Katz, Doctor Tulio Eduardo Flesch Pfiffer, and Professor Doctor Roberto Kalil Filho,” all from the Sírio team, the medical report states.

Leave of absence

Bruno Covas asked for a leave of absence for more than 30 days last Sunday. He will focus exclusively on treating a cancer in the digestive tract with bone metastasis.

Earlier this year, Covas requested a 10-day leave of absence, but he will now need to dedicate more time to the treatment due to the emergence of new tumors.

Covas’ seat has been filled by deputy mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB).

Source: Exame