Dr. Bharat Pankhania, who advises the Johnson administration on communicable disease control, said he expected Trump’s positive check to send a message.
“We want politicians, especially politicians like President Trump, who has a lot of strength and influence, to take this seriously and their scientists and doctors in managing the epidemic, rather than have political influence in seeking to deny that this virus is circulating and dragging its feet around control measures because it fits its agenda” Pankhania said.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, at a weekly press conference, mentioned Trump’s reluctance to wear a mask when asked about his infection, but said the news “reminded me how much mask is wearing in Japan. “
Major media outlets around the world heard the announcement, with advertisements on television screens in Paris and Rome, Seoul and Beijing.
“To say that this can be a big challenge is to fall short,” Rabobank said in a comment. “Now it’s all taking the last turn of this American election campaign. “
China’s official news firm Xinhua aired the news and a host on the state CCTV announced it. On Friday night, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted that she “was saddened to be informed that the president and first girl of the United States have tested positive I hope they have an early recovery and that everything is fine.
Positive verification resulted in the most sought after topic in China in the weibo social media app, widely used, for hours after the announcement, with maximum mocking or critical comments.
One user joked that Trump nevertheless tweeted something positive.
The Chinese government has been irritated by Trump’s attempts to blame China, where the disease has emerged, for the pandemic and called for cooperation to combat it, a message that has resonated with the public.
Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times public newspaper, tweeted in English that “President Trump and the first girl have paid the value of their bet to downplay COVID-19. “
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom Trump once exchanged threats of general destruction and rude insults, also wanted the president and his wife to recover quickly. “I was hoping they would succeed,” the Korean news firm said. He sent you a cordial greeting.
Several Arab media outlets broadcast photographs of Trump and his wife after the virus was announced.
Al-Arabiya, a Saudi satellite channel founded in Dubai, shows a long-running photo of the White House. Qatar’s state broadcaster, Al Jazeera, asked four commentators to talk about the “prevailing state of uncertainty” in the United States, and wondered if Trump could simply lead a re-election crusade and get the country out of quarantine. Middle Eastern leaders who are strongly allied with the United States have sent their most productive wishes, adding to Kuwait’s new ruling Emir.
Iranian state television reported that Trump had the virus, a presenter who uttered the news with an unflattering symbol of the US president surrounded by what gave the impression of being a giant coronavirus. Subsequently, one presenter noted that “the American president, who almost treated the coronavirus as if it were nothing, nevertheless hit it. “
The United States and Iran have suffered since Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers and again imposed crushing sanctions.
Social media platforms were on fire with questions and reactions to all unknowns.
Would Trump blame the Chinese, give his critics and enemies a sense of smell, temporarily passing his quarantine with severe symptoms, tweeting outside the White House?Would he be seriously ill or worse? And if I did, what would that mean for the U. S. election?What would this mean for American leaders at this tumultuous time?
While uncertainty seemed palpable on a roll of social media in a variety of languages, many seemed to rejoice with the announcement.
And Australian satirical news site Betoota Advocate published an article with the headline: “Trump’s circle of relatives records more cases of network transmission than the entire state of Queensland. “