BORIS Johnson could be very unwell for two to three weeks, according to one of Britain’s top doctors.
The Prime Minister, 55, was last night rushed to an intensive care unit in London’s St Thomas’ Hospital after his coronavirus symptoms suddenly worsened.
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And now Dr Hilary Jones has revealed that it could take a significant amount of time for Mr Johnson to fully recover the deadly bug.
It comes after Downing Street and St Thomas’ Hospital have released a joint statement this morning revealing the PM is stable and still in good spirits after a night in intensive care.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain earlier today, Dr Hilary said: “He’s likely to need, I would think, a minimum of two to three weeks to recover from this.
“The GPs and medical colleagues I know who have recovered from Covid-19 and have nursed themselves from home say that this is a life-changing experience for them.
“This has actually changed they way they look at life. They felt completely exhausted, completely wiped out… still breathless after two to three weeks and only now starting to feel back to their normal self.
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“So he’s likely to be very unwell for two or three weeks, therefore the machinery needs to kick in to run the country on his behalf in the meantime.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it can take anywhere from two to six weeks to recover from Covid-19.
The rate of recovery will depend on the severity of the disease as well as treatment.
WHO wrote in a report: “The median time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases is approximately two weeks and is three to six weeks for patients with severe or critical disease.”
Recovering patients can still spread the disease as their body discharges the virus, so Mr Johnson will have to remain vigilant once he is discharged.
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Today is the 11th day that the PM has been suffering from Covid-19.
Doctors moved Mr Johnson to intensive care on Monday night as he continued to struggle with coronavirus.
It is not known whether test results on Mr Johnson are conclusive yet, or whether he has developed pneumonia — a common condition among other serious sufferers.
However, No10 have this lunchtime revealed the PM has had more oxygen support but has not needed a ventilator or any more breathing help.
In a joint statement from Downing Street and St Thomas’ hospital, they said: “The PM has been stable overnight and remains in good spirits.
“He is receiving standard oxygen treatment and is breathing without any other assistance.
“He has not required mechanical ventilation or non-invasive respiratory support.”
The Queen is being kept up to date fully on Boris’ condition, Downing Street added.
Dr Bharat Pankhania, from University of Exeter Medical School, has revealed that doctors may have just been being extra cautious by taking Mr Johnson to intensive care – give his status.
He said: “Given Boris Johnson’s status as a VIP it is difficult to know for sure why he has been moved to ICU.
“For most people, it would indicate they have taken a turn for the worse and are potentially fighting for their life.
“But this is the Prime Minister, so doctors may have thrown all protocol out of the window and acted out of caution.
“He will now be surrounded by fewer patients and more staff, so they can monitor him closely around the clock.
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“All of the machines will also be conveniently arranged in a way that doctors can access them as soon as they are needed.
Before Mr Johnson was taken into ICU at 7pm, the PM formally handed over his day to day responsibilities to Dominic Raab, his de facto deputy.
Foreign Secretary Mr Raab, who is also the First Secretary of State, will now run the Government and take charge of the fight against the Covid-19.
