US President Donald Trump has ignored reports from the country's special services back in January warning of the risk of the spread of novel coronavirus, The Washington Post reported.

Referring to the information by US officials aware of the situation, the paper says that the special services had described the nature and risk of the spread of this disease, as well as China's diminution of its severity, noting the US government's potential need for appropriate measures, but Trump had preferred to ignore, or not take seriously at all, these warnings.

Donald Trump may not have expected that, but many in the government were expecting, and they simply could not force him to do anything, a source told the newspaper.

The CIA declined to comment on this matter.