As it happened: Donald Trump tests positive to COVID-19; Victoria records seven cases as QLD border reopening pushed back; Australian death toll jumps to 890

"Let's treat him with the Russian vaccine and medication," wrote Alex Korolyov on the social media platform VK. "Then he will be our Trump."

With hundreds of potential vaccines in various stages of development around the world, Russia was the first country to license its vaccine for public use and alongside China has been deploying the shots before full efficacy trials are complete.

Sergei Vlasov, another VK user, wrote that Trump should be airlifted to Russia for treatment.

"We need to urgently bring Trump to Moscow. We don't trust American medicine, his life there is at risk," Vlasov wrote.

One Twitter user said Trump should be flown to the same Siberian hospital where doctors treated Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in August.

Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent, according to German, French and Swedish laboratories. Moscow denies this and says it has yet to see evidence of poisoning.

Alexander Gintsburg, head of the institute that produced Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, told RIA news agency he expected the United States to take proper care of its president but said other U.S. officials should consider getting the Russian jab.

"It would have been good to vaccinate him," Gintsburg said of Trump.

Reuters

But disappointed by Washington's leadership during the global health crisis, some messages were laced with stinging barbs.

"This demonstrates that the virus spares no one, including those who have shown scepticism. I wish him a swift recovery,” said Gabriel Attal, spokesman for the French government.

If one of the United States most important NATO allies sounded somewhat terse, there was no hiding the bitter satisfaction evident in China's state-controlled media following news that their country's chief antagonist had joined the COVID sick list.

"President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19," tweeted Hu Xijin, editor in chief of China's Global Times newspaper.

"The news shows the severity of the US’s pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection."

Barely two weeks ago, Trump had told the U.N. General Assembly that China, where the virus first emerged late last year, should be held accountable for unleashing "this plague on the world".

But it was just two days ago, during the acrimonious presidential debate that Democratic rival Joe Biden excoriated Trump for his handling of the crisis at home.

Having assured Americans in January that the looming threat of the disease spreading out of China was "totally under control, and told them in February, that the virus would disappear one day "like a miracle", Trump tested their credulity in April by suggesting the possibility that disinfectant could be injected to clean out the virus.

The China Daily, the country's official English language newspaper, piled on:

"Since it emerged earlier this year, Trump, the White House and his campaign have played down the threat and refused to abide by basic public health guidelines — including those issued by his own administration — such as wearing masks in public and practicing social distancing. Instead, Trump has continued to hold campaign rallies that draw thousands of supporters. The virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans and infected more than 7 million nationwide."

Warmth and concern for Trump was more plentiful in Israel and Taiwan, two governments that treasure their friendship with the United States.

"Like millions of Israelis, Sara and I are thinking of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted, referring to his wife.

"The government & people of Taiwan stand with the U.S. at this testing time," Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Reuters