Jumat, 02 Oktober 2020

Trump, stricken by COVID-19, heads to military hospital - CNA

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump appeared in public on Friday (Oct 2) evening for first time since being stricken by COVID-19, boarding his Marine One helicopter for a flight to a military hospital.

Trump walked out of the White House and gave a thumbs-up but did not speak. Members of the aircrew, Secret Service agents and White House staff wore face coverings to protect themselves from the president onboard the helicopter.

In his first public comments since his diagnosis, Trump said he believes he is "doing very well", in a short video message posted on his Twitter account.

"I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. I am going to Walter Reed hospital. I think I am doing very well. But we are going to make sure that things work out," Trump said.

"The First Lady is doing very well," he added.

The White House said the visit of “a few days” to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was precautionary and that Trump would continue to work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties.

“President Trump remains in good spirts, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day," said press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. 

“Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the president will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days.”

READ: Trump to carry out duties 'without disruption' while recovering from COVID-19: US president's physician

Earlier on Friday, the White House said Trump had been injected with an experimental antibody cocktail by the White House physician.

He received an intravenous dose of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals's dual antibody, his physician Navy Commander Dr Sean Conley said.

Trump was also taking immune system boosters zinc and vitamin D, aspirin, and other generic drugs.

Regeneron's drug, REGN-COV2, is part of a class of experimental COVID-19 drugs known as monoclonal antibodies: manufactured copies of human antibodies to the virus that are being studied for use in patients with early illness.

Just a month before the presidential election, Trump's revelation that he was positive for the virus came by tweet about 1am after he had returned from an afternoon political fundraiser. He had gone ahead, saying nothing to the crowd though knowing he had been exposed to an aide with the disease that has infected millions in America and killed more than a million people worldwide.

READ:Biden hits the campaign trail after negative test for COVID-19

READ: US Vice President Pence tests negative for COVID-19: Spokesman

First lady Melania Trump also tested positive, the president said, and several others in the White House have, too, prompting concern that the White House or even Trump himself might have spread the virus further.

Trump has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of the virus, rarely wearing a protective mask and urging states and cities to “reopen” and reduce or eliminate shutdown rules.

The president’s physician said in a memo late Friday that Trump received a dose of an experimental antibody cocktail by Regeneron that is in clinical trials. 

Dr Conley said Trump “remains fatigued but in good spirits" and that a team of experts was evaluating both the president and first lady in regard to next steps.

The first lady, who is 50, has a “mild cough and headache,” Conley reported, and the remainder of the first family, including the Trumps’ son Barron, who lives at the White House, tested negative.

READ: Trump's age, health woes raise his risk for COVID-19 illness

Both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have tested negative, their campaign said. Vice President Mike Pence tested negative for the virus Friday morning and “remains in good health,” his spokesman said.

Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who was with him and many others on Saturday and has been on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers, also tested negative, the White House said.

Trump's diagnosis was sure to have a destabilising effect in Washington and around the world, raising questions about how far the virus has spread through the highest levels of the US government. Hours before Trump announced he had contracted the virus, the White House said a top aide who had traveled with him during the week had tested positive.

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2020-10-02 22:57:08Z
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Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis throws US election into disarray - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON - The United States presidential contest was thrown into disarray, just 32 days from Election Day, when President Donald Trump announced on Friday (Oct 2) that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for Covid-19.

The President and First Lady are well and plan to remain at home in the White House during their convalescence, with Mr Trump expected to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, said the President’s physician Sean Conley in a memorandum. The Trumps’ 14-year-old son Barron tested negative. 

Mr Trump has mild symptoms but he was expected to remain on the job, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on Friday.

Vice-President Mike Pence, who is next in the presidential line of succession should Mr Trump be medically incapacitated, tested also negative together with his wife Karen on Friday morning, his press secretary said.

While the impact of the the diagnosis on the race is uncertain, Mr Trump’s quarantine forces him off the campaign trail for now, a blow to his efforts to drum up support at in-person events at a time when he is trailing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by seven points nationally.

Mr Trump was due to meet Mr Biden on Oct 15 in Miami, Florida and Oct 22 in Nashville, Tennessee for the second and third presidential debates, which are now up in the air.

Responding on Friday, Mr Biden, who debated Mr Trump at an indoor venue in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, said on Twitter: “(My wife) Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.”

The President’s diagnosis was announced hours after news broke that his close aide Hope Hicks, a former White House communications director who was among Mr Trump’s entourage aboard Air Force One this week, had tested positive for the virus.

“Tonight, (First Lady Melania Trump) and I tested positive for Covid-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter just before 1am (1pm Singapore time).

The President’s public schedule was updated to show that several events on his calendar for Friday had been cancelled, including a roundtable with supporters at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC and a campaign rally in Sanford, Florida.


Advisor to US President Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, walks to Air Force One on Sept 30, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS

Mr Trump was still due to host a phone call on Covid-19 support to vulnerable seniors at midday on Friday.

National media outlets raised a flurry of questions, including whether there would be possible disruptions to the election cycle, and even lines of succession should the President and Vice-President be medically incapacitated.

Mr Trump has consistently downplayed the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, which has infected 7.5 million in America and killed more than 210,000 of them, giving mixed messages about the necessity of wearing masks to slow the spread of the disease.

As recently as Thursday night, he told supporters that a vaccine was on track to be distributed before the end of the year and that “the end of the pandemic is in sight”.

Several other world leaders have tested positive for Covid-19, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Mr Trump, 74, falls within the age cohort most vulnerable to serious cases of the virus.

The White House said in June this year that his annual physical indicated he was healthy, although observers noted that his height of 1.9m and weight of 110.7kg at the time put him over the medical threshold for obesity.

Should the disease incapacitate him, Mr Trump’s party may have to face the nightmare scenario of replacing its candidate midstream.

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2020-10-02 15:30:18Z
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Trump's age, health woes raise his risk for COVID-19 illness - CNA

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has several strikes against him - age, obesity, elevated cholesterol and being male - that could put him at greater risk of becoming seriously ill from the COVID-19 infection he disclosed late Thursday (Oct 1). 

Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive, “are both well at this time” and plan to remain at the White House while recovering and being closely monitored, according to a statement from his physician, Dr Sean Conley.

A White House official said Friday that Trump was having mild symptoms.

READ: Trump to carry out duties 'without disruption' while recovering from COVID-19: US president's physician

“The odds are far and away that he’ll have a mild illness” as most people with the virus do, said Dr Gregory Poland, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic who has no role in Trump’s care.

But COVID-19 is very unpredictable, he stressed.

“We have young people who die. We have nursing home patients, a lot of them, who actually do quite well,” Poland said.

No treatments have proven effective for preventing illness in someone who is infected but with no or mild symptoms. That includes hydroxychloroquine, a drug Trump long promoted and even took himself earlier this year after a White House staffer tested positive for the virus.

Here’s what experts say about Trump’s outlook and next steps.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Infection causes mild or no symptoms in about 80 per cent of cases. About 15 per cent of people become seriously ill and 5 per cent get critically ill.

Symptoms, when they do occur, usually appear two to 14 days after infection and can include loss of smell or taste, coughing, a sore throat, trouble breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

READ: US Vice President Pence tests negative for COVID-19: Spokesman

Up to half of patients who are hospitalised don’t have a fever when admitted but nearly all develop one. How people fare varies widely - some seem to be recovering and then suddenly worsen.

Pneumonia, often with a specific appearance on X-rays, sometimes develops but complications in virtually every organ of the body have been reported.

Doctors also increasingly recognise that some people have long-lasting symptoms.

Older age, being male and having any other health problems increase the chance of severe illness, and Trump has those.

READ: Shock, sympathy, mockery: World reacts to Trump COVID-19 infection

At 74, “his age would be the primary risk factor,” said Dr David Banach, an infectious diseases physician at the University of Connecticut’s health system.

People ages 65 to 74 are seven times more likely to be hospitalised for COVID-19 than those who are 18 to 29 years old, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risks rise exponentially at older ages.

Trump also is obese, with a body mass index just past 30.

“Obesity is a state of chronic lowered immunity. In other words, you don’t respond to vaccines as well, you don’t respond to infections as well” as people of normal weight, Poland said.

Trump takes a statin drug to lower his cholesterol, and that condition also raises his risk for COVID-19 complications, doctors said.

NEXT STEPS

There’s no need yet for tests such as X-rays, but doctors likely will check him often for any difficulty breathing, coughing or other symptoms, Banach said.

No drugs are known to help for people with no or very mild symptoms; remdesivir and steroids have shown benefit for certain moderately and severely ill patients.

READ: Timeline of Trump's activities in the week COVID-19 hit home

Nevertheless, Dr. David Boulware, a University of Minnesota infectious disease specialist who has led studies of some coronavirus treatments, speculated that Trump’s doctors might try promising therapies being tested in studies now, such as antibody drugs or convalescent plasma - blood from COVID-19 survivors.

“More than likely, he’s going to get treated upfront,” Boulware said. “They’re not going to just sit around and watch to see if he gets sick.”

RISK TO OTHERS

Could Trump have infected Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during the debate Tuesday night?

Possible, but hopefully not likely, experts said. The candidates were more than 1.8m apart. But both candidates, especially Trump, spoke loudly, which research suggests can make virus particles travel farther, Poland said. “We can be sure that Joe Biden is being tested, he said.

A myriad of other people who’ve been around Trump in the previous 48 hours are at risk, doctors said.

“Contact tracing is going to be really important,” Banach said. “The president comes into contact with many individuals during the day.”

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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2020-10-02 15:12:06Z
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Global markets rattled as Trump's positive coronavirus test multiplies election uncertainty - The Straits Times

NEW YORK (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Wall Street’s main indexes tumbled at the open on Friday (Oct 2), joining global markets rattled by US President Donald Trump's positive Covid-19 test just weeks before the election.

All 11 major S&P sectors were down, with energy sliding 1.5 per cent on the back of a more than 3 per cent drop in oil prices.
Utilities, healthcare and consumer staples were among the smallest decliners in early trading.

Mr Trump’s tweet that he and first lady Melania had contracted the disease rankled global financial markets and sent investors scurrying to the perceived safety of the dollar, yen and gold.

Analysts said the news could hurt Mr Trump’s campaigning ability and jack up market volatility at a time when investors were already skittish after a chaotic presidential debate heightened fears of a messy transfer of power.

“It’s one more insecurity heading into a tight, contentious election,” said Oliver Pursche, president of Bronson Meadows Capital Management.

“And given that Trump does not adhere to conventional norms and rules, who knows what he’ll do in terms of postponing the elections.”
A senior White House official said the president is “not incapacitated” and will work from his residence.

After Mr Trump said he had the coronavirus, online gambling site Betfair suspended betting on the outcome of the election. Betfair’s odds had previously shown Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s probability of winning at 60 per cent on Wednesday.

At 9:37am ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.99 per cent, the S&P 500 was down 1.25 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.68 per cent.

The risk-off mood sparked a broad-based decline, with banks tracking Treasury yields lower and tech mega-caps, which generally tend to outperform at a time of economic uncertainty, slumping between 1.6 per cent and 2.3 per cent.

Safe-haven assets rallied, with the Japanese yen - a go-to in times of turmoil and uncertainty - rising to 105 per US dollar in Asian trading, from 105.60 earlier in the day. 

The US dollar climbed against higher-yielding currencies including the Australian dollar and South Korean won, while gold initially jumped more than 1 per cent.

Meanwhile, yields on 10-year US Treasury bonds fell more than one basis point to 0.66 per cent, just above a one-month low, a classic signal of investors seeking so-called safe havens.

“We’re just a month to the election so this news does throw the election campaign into a disarray for the Republican Party,” IG Asia market strategist Pan Jingyi.

“Markets hate uncertainty and this ticks all those boxes,” said Mr Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific with Oanda Corp. “Not because of the President alone, but because this potentially means it has spread to the upper-level echelons of the government in the US.”

In Europe, Germany's DAX dropped 0.8 per cent, France's CAC 40 fell 0.6 per cent, while UK's FTSE 100 declined o,4 per cent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei sank 0.7 per cent, reversing earlier gains as trading resumed following Thursday's market shutdown caused by a technical fault. Australian stocks fell 1.4per cent.

Singapore's Straits Times Index closed down 0.2 per cent, after earlier falling over 1 per cent.

Holiday closures in the major China, Hong Kong and South Korea markets had earlier made for a subdued equity trading session ahead of the key monthly US jobs data later on Friday.

“We’re struggling to get our head around it because such things are clearly not in the manual of investment management.” said Mr Gary Dugan, chief executive officer at Global CIO Office. “(Mr Trump) could be isolated for two weeks so that may mean he calls an invalid election. This will induce nervousness in the markets and we could see a 10 per cent correction in US equities that will likely drag down Asian equities for the balance of the year.

“Longer term, people will see a sharper contrast between Asian and US equities. Asia has political stability and strong technology companies in the north. For people looking to allocate globally, this just makes Asia more attractive.”

Mr Sean Callow, currency strategist at Westpac in Sydney, said: "It has the potential to reduce Trump's campaigning ability. He's got a lot on and it's an interruption.

"It also hurts him as far as the whole narrative that it's really not much to worry about - it puts the Covid crisis itself back front and centre."

Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were tested after Ms Hope Hicks, one of his closest aides, was found positive for Covid-19.

Trading on Wall Street turned choppy last month, with the S&P 500 snapping a five-month gaining streak, as economic data indicated a long road to pre-pandemic levels and Congress deliberated over the next round of fiscal stimulus.

With a bipartisan deal eluding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House, the US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a US$2.2 trillion (S$3 trillion) Democratic plan on fiscal aid, but objections from top Republicans are likely to doom the plan in the Senate.

Airlines including United Airlines Holding, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and American Airlines Group fell more than 2 per cent on Friday.

Meanwhile, data showed US job growth slowed more than expected in September as the recovery from the Covid-19 slump shifts into lower gear, although the unemployment rate fell to 7.9 per cent from 8.4 per cent in August.

The US dollar index jumped 0.3 per cent on risk aversion.

Oil prices extended losses to about over 4 per cent on Friday on the Trump news. West Texas Intermediate crude sank 4.3 per cent to US$37.06 a barrel.

Spot gold edged up 0.1 per cent to US$1,907.22 an ounce, reversing losses from early Asian trade to climb back above US$1,900. US gold futures eased by 0.1 per cent to US$1,914.70.

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2020-10-02 14:32:31Z
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Malaysia records highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases as more infections traced to Sabah - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Friday (Oct 2) reported its highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic was first recorded in the country, with 287 new infections.

All of the new cases are local transmissions. Of those, 129 are from Kedah, 113 are from Sabah and 31 are from Selangor. There were also two new clusters at Seri Anggerik and Seri Setia.

Malaysia has reported a steady climb in cases after an increase in travellers to and from Sabah for the state elections.

Twenty of the infections reported on Friday had recently been to Sabah, the health ministry said in its update. These cases then travelled back to various states such as Selangor, Terengganu, Perak and Negeri Sembilan.

This takes the cumulative number of cases involving travel to Sabah to 139 since Sep 20.

READ: Malaysia's Health Ministry looking into fully reopening border with Singapore

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's government has been criticised for failing to impose controls such as mandatory screening for travellers from Sabah prior to the election, and for allowing people to cut short a 14-day home quarantine order if they tested negative for the coronavirus.

More than 700 police personnel are currently undergoing quarantine after they were flown to Sabah to assist in operations during the state elections. 

In Penang, 600 school students were ordered to undergo testing after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19 upon returning from accompanying her husband, a politician, on the Sabah campaign trail.

Muhyiddin's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but health officials have defended not announcing control measures sooner, saying authorities did not want to discourage Sabah voters from returning home to cast their ballots.

However, health ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said on Friday that the spike in Sabah could have been mitigated by compliance with guidelines set by the ministry on minimising physical contact.

"The issue now is the non-compliance to standard operating procedures at every level," Dr Noor Hisham said at a news conference, referring to the ministry's guidelines.

"We are not blaming (anyone), but we are reminding ... we hope that all of us learn this lesson so we do not repeat this mistake again."

READ: Malaysia says no more fist bumps as COVID-19 numbers jump

Dr Noor Hisham previously said on Thursday that the increase in cases could be seen as “the beginning of a new wave” and urged the public to continue practicing social distancing and avoid leaving their homes unless necessary.

From the early stages of the pandemic, Malaysia's health ministry prescribed guidelines to minimise the spread of the virus, which included wearing face masks, maintaining a distance of at least 1m between people and washing hands regularly with soap.

The hashtags #PoliticiansCauseVirus and #MinisterCluster were trending on Twitter in Malaysia on Friday after ministers and political figures were reported attending public events upon their return from campaigning in the state.

At least two politicians tested positive on the campaign trail, while cases linked to travel to Sabah have been recorded in all 13 Malaysian states.

Malaysia has reported 11,771 coronavirus cases so far, including 136 deaths. The economy has contracted for the first time since the 2009 global financial crisis.

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2020-10-02 12:14:53Z
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Stocks slide after Trump diagnosed with coronavirus - CNA

Business

A wave of risk aversion swept markets on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 and will isolate, weeks ahead of the elections.

FILE PHOTO - President Trump departs for travel to Florida from the White House in Washington
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to the Marine One helicopter to depart for travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 27, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

(Updated: )

Bookmark

LONDON: Stocks sold off and investors quit riskier assets on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he and his wife had tested positive for the coronavirus and would isolate, four weeks before U.S. elections.

Investors sought safer assets such as gold, U.S. Treasuries and the Japanese yen.

U.S. stock futures fell and European shares opened lower, although they recovered some losses in early London trading after the initial overnight move. The STOXX 600 was down 0.3per cent and London's FTSE 100 was down 0.7per cent at 0930 GMT.

Shortly before 0500 GMT, Trump said on Twitter that he and his wife had been tested for coronavirus after Hope Hicks, a senior advisor who recently traveled with the president, tested positive.

He later tweeted he and the first lady had tested positive: "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," he said.

S&P 500 futures - which fell sharply on Trump's tweet - stabilised somewhat and were down 1.4per cent at 0931 GMT . Futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq were down 2.1per centper cent .

The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 49 countries, was down 0.2per cent .

Trump's exposure could cause a new wave of market volatility as investors braced for the presidential election in November.

How long the risk-averse moves will last depends on the extent of the infection within the White House, said Francois Savary, chief investment officer at Swiss wealth manager Prime Partners.

"We may have to wait until the end of the weekend for more clarity on the situation," he said. "The reaction has been a bit excessive with U.S. stock futures. It doesn't mean the U.S. administration is not able to function."

"It will weigh on the market today and early next week but will not induce a long-lasting correction if the infection is contained to Trump," he added.

Graphic: Trump tests positive for COVID-19, US stock futures fall - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/buzz/gjnvwjzkopw/trumpper cent20covid.png)

Immediately after the news, the U.S. dollar index rose and the safe-haven yen made its biggest jump in more than a month, reaching 104.95 at 0553 GMT .

Versus a basked of currencies, the dollar was up 0.1per cent on the day at 93.820 at 0933 GMT.

The Australian dollar, which serves as a liquid proxy for risk, was down 0.5per cent .

The euro was down 0.3per cent against the dollar, at US$1.17115 .

Germany's benchmark 10-year bond was down around 2 basis points at -0.545per cent .

Oil fell, with Brent crude down 3.3per cent at US$39.57 a barrel at 0935 GMT, having fallen overnight and stabilised somewhat as European markets opened.

Gold rose, up 0.1per cent at US$1,906.26 per ounce .

"Depending on how this situation evolves over the weekend, notably if more members of the U.S. government's senior leadership are diagnosed positive, gold could be set for an extended rally," said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at OANDA.

After Trump said he had coronavirus, online gambling site Betfair suspended betting on the outcome of the U.S. election. Betfair's odds had previously shown Democratic challenger Joe Biden's probability of winning at 60per cent on Wednesday after the first U.S. presidential debate.

Even before news of Trump's infection, markets had been more bearish after Washington failed to reach an agreement on a fiscal stimulus package to help the U.S. economy recover from the impact of coronavirus.

The last round of monthly U.S. unemployment data before the elections is due at 1230 GMT, although analysts say this has been relegated to secondary importance.

(Reporting by Tom Arnold and Elizabeth Howcroft; additional reporting by Rachel Armstrong; editing by Larry King)

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2020-10-02 10:07:30Z
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Shock, sympathy, mockery: World reacts to Trump COVID-19 infection - CNA

WASHINGTON: News of the infection of US President Donald Trump with COVID-19 drew instant reactions of shock, sympathy, undisguised glee, as well as outrage and curiosity around the world.

Trump's announcement, on Twitter, on Friday (Oct 2) that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, and the deep uncertainty that accompanied it, permeated the global news cycle, upending countless plans and sparking comment everywhere from presidential offices to the thousands looking to weigh in on social media.

The positive test reading for the leader of the world’s largest economy adds more uncertainty to investors' worries, including how the infection might affect the Nov 3 election between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. US stock futures and Asian shares fell in the wake of the news. The future contracts for both the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials lost 1.9 per cent. Oil prices also slipped. Stock prices in Japan and Australia tumbled.

“To say this potentially could be a big deal is an understatement,” Rabobank said in a commentary. “Anyway, everything now takes a backseat to the latest incredible twist in this US election campaign.”

READ: Trump to carry out duties 'without disruption' while recovering from COVID-19 - US president's physician

READ: Timeline of Trump's activities in the week COVID-19 hit home

World leaders and officials were quick to weigh in, and there was both sympathy and something approaching schadenfreude.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), a body which Trump has savaged for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Friday sent his best wishes to Trump and his wife Melania after they tested positive for coronavirus.

"My best wishes to President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS for a full and speedy recovery," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeusus said in a tweet.

The United States, formerly top donor of the Geneva-based body, has said it plans to withdraw and cut off funding, saying the WHO was too close to China. 

“Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

US-India ties have prospered under Trump, and India is seen as a partner to balance China’s growing weight in Asia.

“Our best wishes go to the president and the first lady, but it demonstrates that no one is immune from COVID-19 and catching it. So it shows that no matter the precautions, we are all susceptible to this,” Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, deputy leader of the conservative Nationals party, said on Australian Broadcasting Corp TV.

“A trying time, and it just goes to show that a global pandemic can in fact touch anybody, even the president of the United States.”

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, speaking at a weekly news conference, did not mention Trump's reluctance to wear masks when asked about his infection, but she said the news “reminded me of how widely masks are worn in Japan”.

Virus Outbreak Trump Global Reaction
A man walks near a screen reporting about US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during a news program. (Photo: AP)

Major media across the globe also played up the announcement, with bulletins crawling across TV screens in Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei and Beijing.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency flashed the news, and an anchor on state broadcaster CCTV announced it; there was no immediate comment from the government on Friday, the second day of an eight-day national holiday.

The positive test result for Trump and his wife was the most searched topic in China - after news about the holiday - on the widely used social media app Weibo a few hours after the announcement, with most comments mocking or critical.

The Chinese government has bristled at Trump’s attempts to blame China, where the disease emerged, for the pandemic and called for global cooperation in fighting it, a message that has resonated with the public.

Hu Xijin, the outspoken editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper, tweeted in English that “President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19”.

READ: Top Trump aide Hope Hicks tests positive for COVID-19

Iranian state television announced Trump had the virus, an anchor breaking the news with an unflattering image of the US president surrounded by what appeared to be giant coronaviruses. US-Iran ties have suffered since Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers and reimposed crushing sanctions.

Social media platforms in Asia were ablaze with quick reaction. While the uncertainty seemed palpable on a scroll through various nations' social media, many of the comments seemed to revel in the announcement.

Keio University economics professor Masaru Kaneko tweeted that populist leaders, like British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, "got infected because they tended not to take the coronavirus seriously".

"The two other leaders seriously tackled (the virus) after they get infected themselves. Will the United States follow their examples?”

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMic2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC9zaG9jay1zeW1wYXRoeS1tb2NrZXJ5LXdvcmxkLXJlYWN0cy10by10cnVtcC1jb3ZpZC0xOS1pbmZlY3Rpb24tMTMxNzk2NzLSAQA?oc=5

2020-10-02 08:52:18Z
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