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Update: Boris Johnson has now been rushed into the intensive care unit after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.
“Over the course of this afternoon the condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital,” said Johnson’s office in a statement on Monday.
“The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputize for him where necessary.”
“The PM is receiving excellent care and thanks to all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication,” said a spokesman.
After being admitted to a hospital, Boris Johnson is now reportedly under oxygen as he battles with coronavirus.
He was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital in central London for “routine” coronavirus tests and ended up spending the night.
Just ten days after testing positive for coronavirus, Boris Johnson has been admitted to the St. Thomas hospital. After he arrived at the hospital by car, doctors gave him oxygen to help with his breathing.
Downing Street has stressed that Johnson isn’t suffering from an emergency. His doctor suggested oxygen for “persistent symptoms,” including a temperature, reports say.
Doctors will give the Prime Minister several tests to check his liver and kidney function. Also, his white blood cell count and oxygen levels. He will need to pass those before he can be released.
It is likely that Johnson will also need to undergo an electrocardiogram. This will ensure that his heart is healthy.
In an interview with BBC, GP Dr. Sarah Jarvis said that if Johnson is struggling for breath, his lungs will need to be scanned, and his chest x-rayed.
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Of the 80 percent of people who contract the coronavirus, Dr. Jarvis said that they will only suffer from mild symptoms. 20 percent will suffer from moderate to severe illness.
“Under normal circumstances, given he is staying in charge of the Government, that suggests to me that he probably has moderate disease,” said Dr. Jarvis.
“The main focus though is going to be on his lungs,” she added.
“The majority of people [with moderate or severe symptoms] are going to progress to have inflammation of the lungs and that inflammation can result in damage to lung tissue but also importantly can prevent oxygen being transferred into the bloodstream.”
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The University of Exeter Medical School’s senior clinical lecturer, Dr. Bharat Pankhania, believes that the doctors may be playing it safe where Johnson is concerned. That’s because of the risk of pneumonia quickly developing in coronavirus patients.
“If a patient is developing pneumonia, it can get progressively worse very quickly and hence early admission upon the first signs of difficulty with breathing are very important,” said Dr. Pankhania.
Dr. Jarvis said she believes Johnson would have trouble carrying out his duties to the government if his breathing issues persist.
“At the severe stage, they may become more breathless even at rest and find it difficult to speak more than a couple of sentences–those are the levels at which you should be calling for emergency help,” she said.
If Johnson had issues such as a stroke triggered by afib, or if he was managing afib symptoms, there may be more cause for concern.
