The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a place it was never before, bringing life to a standstill with countries going under extensive lockdowns for months. The United States, which will elect its president in a matter of a few days, has emerged the worst affected country by the pandemic. The country has recorded more than nine million cases and almost 230,000 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic. 

With the presidential elections in view, COVID-19 has become one of the key election, as the virus continues to take a toll on the economy of the country as well as the health of its citizens.

President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have demonstrated different ways of handling the pandemic situation while campaigning, and just like other issues, both have different opinions on this issue as well.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump, who is seeking reelection at the White House on behalf of the Republican Party, has from the beginning blamed China for the spreading of the pandemic. He refused to wear a face mask on multiple occasions and carried on with his election campaign in a full blown manner, until he tested positive for coronavirus on October 2 and subsequently getting hospitalised. 

However, that did not stop the President from continuing his election campaigns. The 74-year-old restarted with them as soon as he recovered from the infection. This has earned him criticism from experts, voters, as well as the Opposition.  

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Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly claimed that under his leadership, a rather small number of people died of the virus and boasted about his efficiency to develop a vaccine sooner than any other country can. 

Joe Biden

Former vice-president Joe Biden, who seeks to win his first term as president, has a different view about the handling of the pandemic. Keeping his election campaign majorly online, the 77-year-old has promised several ways of combating the pandemic if elected at the White House. However, his low-key campaigning process has earned him criticism from his Republican counterparts, including Trump, who have hit out at him from time to time.

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Through his online campaigns and other speeches, Biden has acknowledged the severity of the virus and maintained how important social distancing and wearing masks is. 

The Biden campaign has promised ‘decisive’ health as well as economic response to the pandemic. If elected, Joe Biden will face a huge challenge of making the situation in the US better.