Don’t count on it but let’s hope Trump emerges from Covid-19 with a greater understanding of the pandemic

This is the first time I have seen "Trump" and "positive" in the same sentence. Hopefully after he and Melania do their time in isolation, they will come out healthy with a greater understanding of this pandemic and the value of masks and social distancing.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia  

I have just finished re-reading HG Wells’ masterpiece War of the Worlds in which Imperialist monsters bent on the destruction of Earth are infected and stopped by microbes.

On an entirely unrelated matter, I see Donald Trump has contracted Covid-19.

Sasha Simic

London N16

Could Donald Trump’s positive test for Covid-19 be a bit of “fake news”? And will he “recover” very quickly because he is so fit and then get a massive sympathy vote?  

H Kilborn

West Malling

So The Donald has finally succumbed to the virus. Fake news again or is that a crate of bleach bottles being delivered to the White House?

Gillian Cook

Market Harborough

No, it’s not “fine to attend a private dinner party with eight other people so long as you say sorry afterwards” (Barry Tighe, Letters, October 1) and Jeremy Corbyn accepts that.

But in comparison, the actions of Dominic Cummings and Robert Jenrick are in the Premier League of self-importance, yet escaped any form of punishment. Doubtless conscious of his own shenanigans, the latter struggled mightily on the Today programme in successfully avoiding prompts that he calls for the resignation of Margaret Ferrier for her serious breach of the law, which put train travellers, other MPs and House of Commons workers directly at risk.  

Eddie Dougall

Bury St Edmunds

Margaret Ferrier's breach of coronavirus lockdown rules is significantly more serious than Dominic Cummings’. She has potentially endangered the lives of hundreds of people; he did not. He should have resigned. She must.  

Martin Redfern  

Address supplied

Andrew Grice (1 October) tells us of Conservative MPs expressing anger and frustration at Boris Johnson’s performance and this is reflected across the media, including those publications that might be expected to be sympathetic.

But why? Nothing we have ever heard about Johnson suggested that he would make a good prime minister. We heard about his ability to make people laugh, but that was about it. We have heard repeatedly that he doesn’t do detail, a red flag if ever there was one. He didn’t have what was needed, but went for the job and got lucky. Don’t blame the candidate, blame the appointment committee.

Being PM is a big job and the pandemic has tested leaders across the world. He hasn’t done well, but to turn on him now is unfair. Too much was expected, it is not his fault, he is what he is and we all knew that.

What is it about our political system that allows such an unsuitable candidate to float to the top? Those who helped Johnson get where he is shouldn’t be angry with him, they should be telling us why, despite the evidence, it looked like such a good idea at the time.

Richard Warrell

Yealmpton, Devon