Trump, Melania test positive for Covid-19, will perform duties 'without disruption'

US President Donald Trump said on Friday (2) that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for Covid-19 and would immediately quarantine and begin the "recovery process".

"We will get through this TOGETHER," Trump tweeted.

The first lady tweeted that the couple was "quarantining at home" and "feeling good", reiterating that "we will all get through this together".

White House physician Dr Sean Conley said Trump, 74, was "well" and will continue to perform his duties while quarantining along with the first lady.

They "are both well at this time and they plan to remain home at the White House during their convalesence", he added in a statement.

"I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering."

Trump's positive test follows news that Hope Hicks, a top adviser and trusted aide, had tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Hicks travels regularly with the president on Air Force One and, along with other senior aides, accompanied him to Ohio for the presidential debate on Tuesday and to Minnesota for a campaign event on Wednesday.

"You know I spend a lot of time with Hope, and so does the first lady," Trump had told Fox News on Thursday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted his "best wishes" to the American president and his wife.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, wished his "friend" Trump and the first lady "quick recovery and good health".

Trump, analysts said, was at high risk from the deadly virus both because of his age and because he's considered overweight. He has remained in good health during his time in office but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.

The president, who is tested regularly for the virus that causes Covid-19, has kept up a rigorous travel schedule across the country in recent weeks, holding rallies with thousands of people in the run-up to the November 3 election, despite warnings from public health professionals against having events with large crowds.

Trump has come under sharp criticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the US alone. The president, however, has touted his management of the crisis.

His positive test caps a months-long response to the virus, the seriousness of which he had consistently underplayed. On Thursday night, Trump had predicted that the end of the pandemic was in sight.