Boris Johnson’s condition ‘improving’ as UK Prime Minister continues coronavirus battle

Boris Johnson is sitting up in his intensive care hospital bed and engaging positively with medical carers, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in hospital, but his condition is said to be improving. Picture: Getty Images

Boris Johnson is sitting up in his intensive care hospital bed and his condition is improving, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed.

Mr Sunak said the prime minister was receiving excellent care and was “engaging positively” with his medical carers.

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Picture: Getty Images

It is also understood that while Mr Johnson, 55, has received oxygen over the course of the past few days since his hospital admission on Sunday night, his condition had not deteriorated to the point of requiring intubation and heavy sedation.

The next few days are critical for Mr Johnson’s long term health as the coronavirus infection has been shown to suddenly result in the body’s immune system overreacting and swamping the lungs in serious cases.

While Mr Johnson battles the virus, the UK government appears in a paralysis deciding whether to conduct a three week review as promised, after initiating the country’s lockdown measures on March 13. While the expanded National Heath Service is coping with the rate of admissions at the moment, advisers insisted that any relaxation could see a sudden spike in infections.

The public, however, is getting frustrated about how long the lockdown will remain, given its unprecedented economic impact, loss of jobs and effect on others who may have other non-virus health conditions but can’t get treated.

3/5 - People in hospital beds with COVID-19 (Great Britain) pic.twitter.com/tnYUpuSfTx

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 8, 2020

While Mr Sunak announced yet more government spending, this time a £750m bailout of the charity sector, he said a review of the lockdown would begin to be considered.

Mr Sunak said an emergency Cobra meeting tomorrow, to be chaired by caretaker leader Dominic Raab, would “talk about the approach to the review”.

He added: “We committed there would be a review in and around three weeks, that review will be based on the evidence and data provided by (the government’s scientific advisory group) Sage, which will only be available next week.’’

On Wednesday there were 938 deaths announced in the UK, bringing the overall death toll to 7,097. The death toll is expected to remain at this level for at least a week, after which it is tipped to drop because the current rate of infection has fallen.

In Italy, prime minister Giuseppe Conte may loosen stage two home isolation measures after the Easter break, but has tightened the lockdown for the holiday period including road blocks around major cities to stop residents visiting family in rural villages.

On Wednesday there were 542 new Italian fatalities, bringing the total death toll to 17,669.

In Spain, Finance Minister Maria Jesus Montero said measures would be lifted on April 26, but with some guidelines about meetings in public spaces.

Spain had 757 deaths on Wednesday, bringing its total death toll up to 14,555.

While Austria, Switzerland and Denmark have signalled a loosening of restrictions by the end of April, the UK national medical director for NHS England, Stephen Powis, said the UK could not afford to become complacent.

“The rate at which it is rising is definitely getting slower and looks like we’re beginning to get towards a flat curve,” he said.

But he warned: “This is not the time to think that the job is being done, this is the time to (for) everybody — whether you’re me, whether you’re a member of the public, frankly if you’re a football team — to continue to keep with social distancing and ensure that the hard work and the hardship that everybody is no doubt encountering leads to those benefits.’’