Boris Johnson breathing ‘without assistance’ in intensive care
Boris Johnson has not required respiratory support in hospital and is breathing without any other assistance.
A Number 10 official spokesman said today that the Prime Minister “has not required mechanical ventilation or non invasive respiratory support”, after being sent to intensive care last night and was in a stable condition.
The spokesman said Johnson does not have pneumonia, is still conscious and that he was taken to intensive care in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.
The spokesman said: “He has received standard oxygen and is breathing without any other assistance.
“The Prime Minister has been stable overnight and remains in good spirits.”
The Prime Minister was taken to hospital as a “precautionary measure” on Sunday night after persistent coronavirus symptoms over the course of 10 days.
Number 10 said yesterday afternoon that he was in “good spirits” and was still in charge of government.
At 8pm, it was announced his condition had worsened and had been taken to intensive care as a precaution in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab will now deputise for Johnson as the government’s first secretary of state.
Number 10’s spokesman said that Johnson asked Raab to deputise for him via message and that the pair have not spoken since Saturday.
Last night, Raab said: “There’s an incredibly strong team spirit behind the Prime Minister in making sure that we get all the plans the Prime Minister has instructed us to deliver, to implement them as soon as possible.
“That’s the way we’ll bring the whole country through the coronavirus challenge we face right now.”