After months of playing down its significance, refusing to wear a mask and holding large campaign rallies as the coronavirus spreads across the United States, US President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19.

Here are some of Trump's most notable and colourful statements on the illness.

January 22

“We have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China. It's going to be just fine.”

February 7

“It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu [...] This is deadly stuff,” Trump told Bob Woodward in quotes only released on September 9 ahead of the publication of the veteran US journalist's new book.

February 26

“This is a flu. This is like a flu.”

February 27

“It's going to disappear. One day, it's like a miracle — it will disappear.”

March 6

“I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it [...] Every one of these doctors said: 'How do you know so much about this?' Maybe I have a natural ability.

"Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.” (on scientific research for treatments)

March 11

“The virus will not have a chance against us. No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States.”

March 14

“I'd rate it a 10,” on his coronavirus response.

March 17

“I've always known this is a real — this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic [...] I've always viewed it as very serious.”

March 22

“I'm a little upset with China, I'll be honest with you.”

April 3

“I'm feeling good. I just don't want to be doing — somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don't know, somehow I don't see it for myself. I just don't. Maybe I'll change my mind.”

Read: Trump wears mask in public for first time during pandemic

April 24

“Then I see the disinfectant which knocks it out in a minute. One minute.

"And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside for almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it'd be interesting to check that.

“So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said, that hasn't been checked but you're gonna test it. And then I said, supposing it brought the light inside the body, which you can either do either through the skin or some other way.”

Read: Heat, humidity and injecting disinfectants — Trump offers more thoughts on fighting the virus

April 30

“I think that the World Health Organisation should be ashamed of themselves, because they're like the public relations agency for China.”

Read: Trump says WHO is China-centric, 'really blew it' on coronavirus

May 19

“When we have a lot of cases, I don't look at that as a bad thing, I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing [...] Because it means our testing is much better.

"I view it as a badge of honor, really, it's a badge of honor.”

July 28:

“I happen to believe in it. I would take it. As you know, I took it for a 14-day period. And as you know, I'm here. I happen to think it works in the early stages," he said about hydroxychloroquine.

Read: Pressed by Trump, US pushed unproven coronavirus treatment guidance

September 22

“We must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world, China [...] the Chinese government, and the World Health Organisation — which is virtually controlled by China —falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.”

October 2

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for Covid-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this together!"