Trump has coronavirus: Celebrities react to the news and criticise president for 'science denial'

The president and First Lady are quarantining immediately

The entertainment world is reacting to the news that Donald Trump and his wife Melania have tested positive for coronavirus.

The president is quarantining immediately despite the election being just over 30 days away,

He wrote on Twitter: “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”

The pair were tested after their close aide Hope Hicks began showing symptoms of the illness. Hicks tested positive earlier on Thursday night (1 October), just two days after Trump’s debate with Joe Biden.

Celebrities reacted to the news on social media.

A shocked Billy Eichner wrote, "OH. MY. GOD", while James Mangold, director of Logan and the forthcoming Indiana Jones 5, simply posted a video of Trump’s presidential rival Biden putting on a facemask.

Trump has been criticised in the past for undermining the importance of facemasks. At Tuesday night’s debate, Trump said: “I think masks are OK... I put a mask on when I think I need it” 

Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson wrote: “2020 is Biblical af," with actor Tessa Thompson adding: “Reminder: Wear A Mask.”

The band Low referenced the controversial presidential debate, writing: "Yeah, but has he denounced white supremacy yet?"

Former Stranger Things star Shannon Purser added: “The fact that two most protected people in our country got COVID… like, they had every opportunity and resource needed to not get sick but science denial is a trip!”

Duncan Jones, who is the son of David Bowie and directed Moon, asked: "How do germaphobic sociopaths tend to react to getting sick? If anyone with real psychological training has an answer, I’d be fascinated. If the universe already orbits their ego, what happens when they’re sick?"

Comedian Rufus Jones recalled Trump’s comments about injecting bleach to fight the virus.

“There’s never a good time to say this, but I’m hearing really great things about hydroxychloroquine,” he wrote.

At 74, Trump is at higher risk of complications from an illness that has killed more than 205,000 people in the US to date.