US President Donald Trump staged a dramatic return to the White House after leaving the military hospital where he had been receiving an unprecedented level of care for Covid-19. He immediately ignited a new controversy by declaring that, despite his illness, the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans — and then he entered the White House without a protective mask. He said he had learnt one thing about the virus for certain: "don't let it dominate you, don't be afraid of it."