BoJo ‘extremely sick’
British PM moved to intensive care
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to an intensive-care unit Monday after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, though his 10 Downing St. office said he was still conscious.
Britain has no formal succession plan should the prime minister become incapacitated, but Johnson, 55, has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputize for him.
Johnson, 55, was admitted to hospital Sunday night and had been undergoing tests as his symptoms persisted, including a high temperature, for more than 10 days.
His office said he was in good spirits and still in charge, though his condition deteriorated in the early evening. Johnson received oxygen, a source said.
“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” St. Thomas’ Hospital in central London, a spokesman for his office said.
10 Downing St. said he had been moved to the ICU as a “precaution should he require ventilation to aid his recovery.”
Queen Elizabeth had been kept informed by 10 Downing St., Buckingham Palace said.
The British pound fell by nearly a cent against the U.S. dollar on the news.
Johnson tested positive for the virus March 26, but after 10 days of isolation, he was still fighting the virus Sunday evening with a high temperature and persistent cough.
His spokesman earlier refused to answer whether he had pneumonia. But his move to intensive care confirmed the gravity of the situation.
“There is no doubt this turn of events means Boris Johnson is extremely sick,” said Derek Hill, a professor of medical imaging at University College London.
“One of the features of COVID-19 in all countries seems to be that many more men become seriously ill than women — especially in the over-40 age group. Also, we know that people under about 60 seem to have a higher chance of making a recovery from critical illness with COVID-19 than older people.”
Raab said the government will ensure Johnson’s plans are carried out.