Extract from ABC News
US President Donald Trump has been experiencing "mild symptoms" of coronavirus, leaving the White House and his presidential election campaign scrambling to adjust to the development.
Key points:
- Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris have all tested negative for COVID-19
- Members of Mr Trump's family including daughter Ivanka and son Barron have tested negative
- Upcoming campaign plans of Mr Trump's have been scrapped
Mr Trump and his wife Melania both tested positive for the deadly virus on Friday and have gone into quarantine.
Mr Trump is not incapacitated and is working in isolation to avoid infecting others, a White House official said.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said the President, 74, was exhibiting mild symptoms.
"We have a President that is not only on the job but will remain on the job and I'm optimistic that he will have a very quick and speedy recovery," Mr Meadows told reporters.
They gave no more details.
All campaign events involving the President and his family will either be turned into virtual events or postponed until further notice, Mr Trump's campaign manager said.
Bill Stepien added that Vice-President Mike Pence, who has tested negative for COVID-19, plans to continue to his campaign schedule.
After announcing his positive test on Friday morning Mr Trump tweeted: "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"
On Thursday night, shortly after Mr Trump predicted the pandemic's end was in sight, news broke that Hope Hicks, a top adviser and trusted aide, tested positive for the virus.
Ms Hicks travelled with the President on Air Force One on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading to a slew of tests for those in the Trump's inner circle.
Many White House and senior administration officials were undergoing tests on Friday, but the full scale of the outbreak around the President may not be known for some time as it can take days for an infection to be detectable by a test.
Officials with the White House Medical Unit were tracing the president's contacts.
The Trump's youngest son Barron has tested negative, a White House official said, as have the President's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner.
Wall Street tumbled at news of one of the biggest health scares involving an American president for decades, with the S&P 500 plunging more than 1.5 per cent at the opening of trade.
It remained down 0.5 per cent in afternoon trading, paring its earlier losses but the moves weren't close to as chaotic as earlier this year, when markets were first selling off on coronavirus fears.
Pence, Biden and Harris test negative
The President's illness has upended his re-election campaign, with just 31 days left to go until the election.
Polls show Mr Trump has been trailing his Democratic opponent, former vice-president Joe Biden.
Mr Biden and his wife Jill used Twitter to wish Mr Trump and the first lady a speedy recovery.
"We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family," Mr Biden said.
Mr Biden, who spent 90 minutes on stage with Mr Trump during their first debate just days ago, has also been tested and was cleared of being infected on Friday (local time).
Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife have also tested negative.
Mr Pence is set to work from his residence, which is several kilometres from the White House, and his staff was being kept separated from Mr Trump's staff.
Mr Pence, 61, a former Indiana governor, would take over if Mr Trump were to become incapacitated.
Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris also tested negative on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Campaign plans scrapped
Mr Trump's advisers have acknowledged plans for the final weeks of the election campaign have been scrapped.
"Trump is a high-energy president with a giant personality. Without his persona, the campaign is missing its energy," Republican fundraiser Dan Eberhart said.
Mr Trump's positive test also means that others at the highest levels of the US Government have been exposed and may have to quarantine, too.
The President, who is tested regularly, has kept up a rigorous travel schedule across the country in recent weeks, holding rallies with thousands of people, despite warnings from public health professionals against having events with large crowds, in the run up to the November 3 election.
His national security adviser Robert O'Brien tested positive for the virus in July.
Mr Trump said he was not worried about the spread of COVID-19 in the White House when an aide of Vice-President Mike Pence tested positive to coronavirus in May.
One of the President's personal valets has also tested positive, along with Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is dating Mr Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Mr Trump had previously played down concerns about being personally vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, even after White House staff and allies were exposed and sickened.
"I felt no vulnerability whatsoever," he told reporters back in May.
Trump the latest world leader to catch the virus
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson kept working in isolation for around a week after testing positive in March but then fell gravely ill and was rushed into intensive care. He spent several weeks recovering before returning to work.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went into quarantine in March after his wife was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called the virus a "little flu" after being infected in July.
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