Donald Trump terms COVID-19 as ‘Kung flu', blames China for global outbreak

US President Donald Trump called the novel coronavirus “Kung Flu”, blaming China for the deadly outbreak across the globe with nearly nine million cases. Addressing an election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump said that COVID-19 has more names than any other disease in history and he can name different versions of it.

"I can name - Kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names. Many calls it a virus, which it is. Many calls it a flu. What difference. I think we have 19 or 20 versions of the name," said Trump, playing around the term “Kung Fu” which is a Chinese martial arts practice.

The US is the worst affected country with over 2.3 million cases and more than 1,21,000 deaths which has raised several questions on COVID-19 measures of US authorities. Trump has been trying to outsource the blame to China for his administration’s failure in containing the virus as he faces a tough re-election campaign.

Worst-hit nation

According to the latest report, nearly nine million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 467,000 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe. The United States, Brazil, and Russia are the worst-hit countries while India reporting a sharp rise in the coronavirus cases.

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On June 18, more than 150,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported globally, the highest single-day number so far. Tedros said that nearly half of the newly reported cases were from the Americas, with significant numbers from South Asia and the Middle East. He called on all countries and all people to exercise extreme vigilance and continue maintaining distance from others.

During his rally in Tulsa, Trump mocked the rumours surrounding his health after he waved a glass of water in the air for around 30 seconds. He lifted the glass of water up in the air to displayed his ability to drink water by using one hand amid a roar of applause from the attendees.

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