Mr Trump has announced he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus and are now in quarantine. The President, aged 74 and therefore in a high-risk group, announced the news in a tweet, adding: “We will get through this together.” It comes after one of his closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive as well.

She travelled with him on Air Force One to the first presidential TV debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden in Ohio on Tuesday.

Bizarrely, Mr Trump may have predicted the whole thing.

It was reported in March that, despite his rhetoric to the American people, the self-declared germaphobe was fully aware of how bad the coronavirus crisis could get, with aides saying he realises his press conferences about stimulating the economy and not panicking have been sub-par.

A source reportedly close to the President told Vanity Fair that Mr Trump has asked Secret Service officials to screen anyone close to him who coughs for coronavirus, adding: “He’s definitely melting down over this.”

Mr Trump is said to be convinced that a hostile journalist would “get COVID-19 on purpose” so that they can “pass it on while flying on the presidential jet”.

Another Republican party source also reportedly revealed a new side to Mr Trump’s germaphobia, saying the President despises people who practice poor food hygiene.

They said: “Donald is a famous germaphobe. He hates it if someone is eating nachos and dips a chip back in after taking a bite. He calls them ‘double dippers.'”

But Mr Trump took to Twitter to deny the claims.

He wrote: “Vanity Fair Magazine, which will soon be out of business, and their third-rate fake reporters, who make up sources which don’t exist, wrote yet another phoney and boring hit piece.

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The President will now have to quarantine – his campaign rallies are off the table and the next presidential debate – in two weeks – is in question.

Just two days ago, during the first debate, Trump belittled Democratic opponent Joe Biden for frequently wearing masks and not having campaign rallies that matched his own in size.

It is not clear how Mr Trump’s positive test will affect arrangements for the second presidential debate, which is scheduled for 15 October in Miami, Florida.

But, historically, during times of national turmoil, the American public tends to rally in support of the President.