White House official referred to coronavirus as ‘kung-flu’, says reporter

Donald Trump has also been criticised for calling it the ‘Chinese virus’

The North Lawn of the White House is seen in Washington, DC. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

A White House official reportedly referred to the Covid-19 as the “kung-flu” during an exchange with a journalist.

Weija Jiang, a White House correspondent for CBS News, recounted the alleged incident in a tweet on Tuesday.

“This morning a White House official referred to #Coronavirus as the ‘Kung-Flu’ to my face,” Jiang wrote.

“Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back.”

Jiang, who identifies as a Chinese born West Virginian in her Twitter bio, has received multiple messages of support.

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The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Jiang’s tweet came as Donald Trump came under fire for referring to Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus” in a tweet.

“The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” Trump wrote.

China’s foreign ministry has condemned the US president’s choice of words.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters during a daily briefing that the US should first take care of its own matters.

Additiional reporting by agencies