Photo taken on March 27, 2020 shows the White House in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Chinese analysts worried the White House may have become a "petri dish" for COVID-19 after a series of staff members and assistants, who had previously enjoyed close contact with the country's leaders, reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. 

The outbreak in the White House could damage confidence in any attempted resumption of work and production in the US and even threatens Trump's re-election, analysts noted.

The concerns came as top US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci, also a member of the White House's coronavirus task force on Saturday, said he would himself begin a "modified" quarantine after having contact with a White House staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus, US media reported. 

Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will also undergo self-isolation after being exposed to a person at the White House who tested positive. 

A personnel valet of President Trump tested positive on Thursday. Then a personnel assistant of Ivanka Trump tested positive for coronavirus on Friday. 

The White House has also confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller tested positive on Friday. All rarely wore masks.

Analysts reached by the Global Times on Sunday noted the White House was in danger of a further outbreak as the infectiousness of the virus was still being underrated: Asymptomatic and negative test results do not totally guarantee that the virus will not spread.  

"The Trump administration is losing its leadership and has been a global laggard amid the anti-pandemic battle," Li Haidong, a professor at the Beijing-based institute of international relations in China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Li warned that if the US government maintained its loose measures, the White House would finally be "flamed by itself."

"I don't want the White House to be a petri dish for coronavirus, but it seems to be happening, which to some extent caused by the lax and sluggish policy from Trump administration," posted an internet user on China's Sina Weibo on Sunday.

Chinese experts speculated that although it set a bad example to the public, Trump would maintain his style of not wearing masks in the belief this projected an image of a "strong and fearless" leader attractive to voters.

A CNN website commentator described the atmosphere in the White House as "genuinely nervous," given the mounting number of close contacts with the COVID-19 cases. 

The White House is asking staff members to wear masks and undergo temperature monitoring, the report said.

The outbreak in the White House reflected its poor epidemic work. The poor work in the US showed that "the aura of a role model of the US in the West is waning, Li said.

"If Trump finally gets infected, the White House would very likely welcome its new owner," Li said.

 "The Trump administration of US has been a global laggard amid the outbreak, leading to a protracted progression of containing the coronavirus," an anonymous Chinese expert said. 

"The Trump administration should take the blame for the poor performance and negative impact on the global community."