Coronavirus Hit Boris Johnson Receives Oxygen Treatment In Hospital

Coronavirus-hit Boris Johnson is having checks in hospital today amid calls to hand over the reins of the UK’s fight against the disease while he recovers.

The PM was dramatically admitted to St Thomas’s, near Downing Street, last night after doctors became concerned his symptoms have still not subsided 10 days after his positive test.

Mr. Johnson is thought to have been given oxygen treatment, with claims he had ‘risked his health’ by keeping up a frantic work-rate. One MP suggested that he was too keen to emulate his hero, Winston Churchill and should rest.

Downing Street has insisted the premier remains in control of the government’s response, despite remaining in the hospital with no clear timeframe for being discharged.

However, his effective deputy Dominic Raab is chairing the daily coronavirus crisis committee meeting this morning, and the PM will clearly not be playing the same role as usual.

In a Twitter video on Friday from No11, where he has been in self-isolation, an exhausted-looking Mr. Johnson revealed he was still suffering from high temperature and the fever is understood to have remained until his admission yesterday.

Experts say there is a risk of pneumonia when a temperature lasts more than a week.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said Mr. Johnson had been ‘working incredibly hard’ and said he hoped he would be back in Downing Street soon – but did not rule out him being forced to stay in for longer. 

Health minister Nadine Dorries – the first MP to test positive for coronavirus, but now recovered – suggested the PM needs to ‘sleep and recover’. 

‘Many with #COVID19 are felled by fatigue/temperature and use isolation to sleep+recover. Boris has risked his health & worked every day on our behalf to lead the battle against this vile virus. Let’s do our bit for him and @carriesymonds now. Send them our love.’ 

One Tory MP told the Telegraph Mr. Johnson should stop trying to copy Churchill’s example during the Second World War and instead let another Cabinet minister take charge of the national efforts to fight the virus.

The MP said: ‘I hear that the number of hours that he is able to work, he is finding frustrating. You don’t hold the camera up and look grim – it is not going to inspire the nation.

‘Unfortunately he has written too many books on Churchill and wants to be the guy – he needs to be Boris Johnson and not try to be someone else.‘

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