Boris Johnson Hospitalized: What We Know So Far

On 5 April 2020, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital with persistent symptoms of COVID-19. According to a Downing Street spokesperson, the move was a 'precautionary measure' and Johnson continued to chair the daily Covid-19 Cabinet briefing remotely. Johnson was discharged from hospital on 12 April 2020. On 20 June 2022, Johnson was again admitted to hospital for a routine sinus operation.

Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital with COVID-19

On Sunday, April 5, 2020, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to an NHS hospital in London with persistent symptoms of COVID-19. Johnson had tested positive for the virus ten days prior and was still experiencing a high temperature. His admission to hospital came just a day after his pregnant fiancée, Carrie Symonds, disclosed that she had been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms for a week. Symonds, who was not tested for the virus, gave birth to their son Wilfred on April 29, 2020.

Johnson's hospitalisation was described as a precautionary measure by Downing Street officials, who stressed that he remained in charge of the government. A Downing Street spokesperson said: "On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests. This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus."

Upon hearing the news, US President Donald Trump said he was hopeful and sure that Johnson would recover, and wished him well in his "personal fight with the virus". Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, also wished the prime minister a "speedy recovery".

While in hospital, patients with COVID-19 typically receive oxygen support, sometimes via a mask, and in more severe cases, ventilatory support. They may also be given prophylactic medicines. The aim of treatment is to enable oxygen exchange and prevent damage to other organs.

Johnson's admission was a precautionary measure

On Sunday, April 5, 2020, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to an NHS hospital in London for tests as a precautionary measure. Johnson had been experiencing persistent symptoms of COVID-19 for 10 days after testing positive for the virus.

A Downing Street spokesperson stated that the hospitalisation was a "precautionary step" and that the Prime Minister continued to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus. Number 10 aides emphasised that the admission was purely precautionary and denied that Johnson would be unable to run the country during this time. Prof Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at the University of Nottingham, supported this notion, stating that initial reports suggested the hospitalisation was "purely precautionary".

Johnson's admission to the hospital came just a day after his pregnant fiancée, Carrie Symonds, disclosed that she had been battling COVID-19 symptoms for a week. At the time, Symonds had not been tested for the virus, but was self-isolating. Johnson himself had been self-isolating and chairing the daily COVID-19 Cabinet briefing remotely.

The specific tests and treatments Johnson received during his hospitalisation are not publicly known. However, people hospitalised with COVID-19 typically receive simple oxygen support or, in more severe cases, ventilatory support and prophylactic medicines.

Johnson underwent tests for persistent COVID-19 symptoms

On the advice of his doctor, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital on Sunday night for tests. This was due to persistent symptoms of COVID-19, 10 days after he tested positive for the virus. Johnson had been chairing the daily COVID-19 Cabinet briefing and posting regular video messages to voters on Facebook and Twitter. He was last seen publicly on Thursday evening and spoke to new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Saturday afternoon.

Johnson's admission to hospital came just over an hour after Queen Elizabeth II gave a rare televised address to the nation, pre-recorded the previous week, to rally spirits during an "increasingly challenging time". US President Donald Trump addressed Johnson's hospitalisation in a Sunday evening press conference, wishing the Prime Minister a speedy recovery.

Downing Street officials stressed that the move was a precautionary measure. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: "This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus. The Prime Minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government's advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives."

Prof Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at the University of Nottingham, commented: "Clearly, the prime minister is finding it difficult to shake this thing off. What it does show is how difficult it is to predict how this infection will develop, and whilst most people will experience nothing more than an annoying cold, for others this can develop into a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease. Initial reports suggest that this measure is purely precautionary. Let’s hope so. I’m sure we will all wish the prime minister a speedy recovery."

Johnson's fiancé, Carrie Symonds, also experienced COVID-19 symptoms

On Sunday, April 5, 2020, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital for tests as a precautionary measure due to persistent symptoms of COVID-19. Johnson had been experiencing symptoms for two weeks and continued to report a high temperature.

As the Prime Minister's condition persisted, experts weighed in on the situation. Professor of Molecular Virology at the University of Nottingham, Prof Jonathan Ball, commented on the unpredictability of COVID-19, noting how it can develop into a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease. Prof Derek Hill, Professor of Medical Imaging Science at UCL, did not speculate on Johnson's specific condition but explained the typical care provided to COVID-19 patients in hospitals. This includes simple oxygen support and, in more severe cases, ventilatory support and prophylactic medicines.

The admission of the Prime Minister to the hospital raised questions about his ability to govern. Number 10 aides insisted that Johnson remained in charge of the government and denied that he would be unable to run the country. Johnson had been chairing the daily COVID-19 Cabinet briefing remotely and posting regular video messages to voters via social media. The government had previously indicated that if Johnson were incapacitated, Dominic Raab, as First Secretary of State, would assume temporary leadership duties.

The hospitalization of Boris Johnson and the symptoms experienced by his fiancé, Carrie Symonds, brought attention to the personal impact of the COVID-19 virus on those at the highest levels of government. The experience of Symonds highlights the importance of self-isolation and following public health guidelines, even for those with mild or unconfirmed cases of COVID-19.

Johnson was later admitted to hospital for routine surgery

On the 5th of April 2020, Boris Johnson was admitted to an NHS hospital in London after experiencing persistent symptoms of COVID-19. This was described as a precautionary measure by Downing Street officials, who stressed that the Prime Minister remained in charge of the Government. Johnson had been self-isolating after testing positive for the virus 10 days earlier, and had continued to report a high temperature.

US President Donald Trump wished Johnson a speedy recovery, saying that he was "hopeful and sure" that the Prime Minister would pull through. Sir Keir Starmer also wished Johnson well. Johnson's pregnant fiancée, Carrie Symonds, had also been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and was self-isolating.

Johnson was later admitted to the hospital for routine surgery on the 20th of June 2022. Although No 10 refused to confirm whether the PM had skipped NHS waiting lists, a medical source indicated that Johnson had likely undergone functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) to treat chronic sinusitis. During this procedure, the surgeon widens the patient's sinuses by either removing blocked tissue or inflating a tiny balloon in the blocked sinuses before removing it. Johnson was expected to return to work on Tuesday, with Raab taking charge in the interim.

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