Shock, sympathy and schadenfreude follows Trump’s Covid-19 bombshell

Someone in a face mask walks past an image of Donald Trump on TV in Seoul, South Korea (AP)

News of the infection of the world’s most powerful man with the coronavirus drew instant reactions of shock, sympathy, undisguised glee and, of course, the ever-present outrage and curiosity that follows much of what Donald Trump does.

The US president’s announcement that he and US first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19 permeated the global news cycle, sparking comment everywhere from presidential offices to the thousands weighing in on social media.