Tesla Inc.’s Elon Musk tweeted he might have COVID-19 and renewed his conspiratorial posting concerning the virus that has contaminated nearly 53 million folks.

“One thing extraordinarily bogus is occurring,” the CEO wrote late Thursday. “Was examined for covid 4 occasions right this moment. Two checks got here again unfavourable, two got here again optimistic.”

The billionaire mentioned he took a collection of speedy antigen checks, which produce outcomes inside quarter-hour and are cheaper however much less dependable than polymerase chain response checks. He’s now ready for outcomes from the latter kind of take a look at, which take longer to course of.

Musk, 49, wrote that he was experiencing signs of a typical chilly, describing them as “nothing uncommon up to now.”

The CEO has at occasions been dismissive and sowed doubts about COVID-19, questioning the virality of the illness and claiming fatality charges are overstated. In March, he predicted there can be near zero new circumstances within the U.S. by April. Roughly 150,000 circumstances at the moment are being reported within the nation every day.

Musk travels usually on his non-public jet between work websites for Tesla and the rocket firm he runs, House Exploration Applied sciences Corp. His airplane touched down in Berlin final week, the place he performed in-person interviews with candidates to work on the manufacturing facility Tesla is constructing close to the German capital.

Germany has been struggling to include a second wave of the virus and this month closed bars, eating places and leisure amenities, whereas conserving different companies open. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s authorities has urged residents to maintain social contacts to a minimal and keep away from non-essential journey.

Tesla was compelled to quickly halt work at its just-opened plant close to Shanghai early this 12 months, although it was the shutdown of its major manufacturing facility within the U.S. that stoked controversy. The corporate resisted idling the ability till native officers referred to as the ability in Fremont, Calif., a public well being danger.

Musk then ranted about shutdown orders, calling them fascist and undemocratic. After the California county the place the manufacturing facility is situated initially informed Tesla it couldn’t reopen, the corporate sued and the CEO threatened to relocate operations to different states. Manufacturing restarted earlier than the county gave the go-ahead and the swimsuit was later dropped.

Tesla emerged from the shutdown on a tear from a stock-market perspective, displacing Toyota Motor Corp. in July to develop into the world’s most beneficial automaker. Whereas the corporate reported report quarterly automobile deliveries final month, it’s acknowledged it is going to be tough to achieve its goal at hand over 500,000 vehicles to prospects this 12 months. Toyota and Volkswagen Group, by comparability, promote greater than 10 million autos yearly.

Musk wrote that the speedy antigen checks he’d taken had been from “BD,” possible referring to Becton Dickinson and Co. The corporate acquired emergency-use authorization from the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration in July.

The regulator mentioned then that the take a look at is designed to detect bits of the virus’s nucleocapsid antigens — the proteins that encompass the virus’s genetic materials — in nasal swabs from people who find themselves suspected to have COVID-19 inside the first 5 days of the onset of signs.

Constructive outcomes don’t rule out bacterial an infection or co-infection with different viruses, the company mentioned. Detrimental outcomes ought to be thought of “presumptive,” don’t rule out the opportunity of a coronavirus an infection and “shouldn’t be used as the only foundation for therapy or affected person administration choices.”

Though no diagnostic take a look at is ideal, PCR checks are thought of the gold commonplace when it comes to accuracy. They search for tiny bits of the virus’s nucleic acids in an individual’s pattern. However additionally they have drawbacks. They’re extremely technical, costly and sometimes take many hours or days for somebody to obtain outcomes.

Musk wrote that he would obtain his in about 24 hours.