UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Struggles To Breathe, Medical Experts Raise Concerns

Dr. Simon Clarke, a microbiologist said to Sky News about the case of Prime Minister Boris Johnson:

"It is serious, there is no doubt about it. The NHS doesn't give up intensive care beds just for people to be looked over, even for Prime Ministers. He wouldn't be in intensive care if he didn't need to be at this time."

The other medical experts also claimed that a patient of coronavirus like UK PM Johnson moved to the intense care unit (ICU) means the case is unusual and needs specific support to remove the virus out of the patient's body.

On the evening of April 6, when being transferred to ICU, the PM didn't need a ventilator for the first time. He was given oxygen so that doctors can follow the other symptoms as patients undergoing a ventilator often stay unconscious.

Oxygen or ventilators are only two amongst the options to support survival in the intense care unit. The major point is that moving patients into ICU isn't such a kind of treatment for COVID-19. In the time of no specifics against coronavirus, this is a way to specially care for patients.

Most of the serious cases will witness the lung attacked by the virus that causes pneumonia. The disease will worsen quickly that both doctors and patients cannot imagine. It's hard to believe that PM Johnson's doctors haven't thought of it or he was moved to ICU to take precautions.

Senior clinical lecturer of the University of Exeter Medical School Dr. Bharat Pankhania said that in the case of the PM, it's hard to say as his doctors would play it ultra-safe.

Meanwhile, Professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia Paul Hunter earlier shared the data collected by the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Center which suggests that intensive care for patients of COVID-19 is less efficient than the other types of common pneumonia. He said:

"Sadly about half of cases (50.1%) that go into critical care [with COVID-19] still die. This is much higher than for other viral pneumonias (22.4%). Why this is the case and how much higher this figure would be without critical care beds is not clear."

Researches show that this ratio increases to 54% for the patients in the same age range as the UK Prime Minister, who is 55 years old now.

Director of the Institute of Infection and Global Health at the University of Liverpool Tom Solomon confirmed that several patients are transferred to ICU just to monitor intensely to their vital functions.

He even added that almost all patients of COVid-19 moved to ICU find it difficult to breathe due to the direct effects of the infection and the defenses of the immune system trying to combat the virus. Solomon noted:

"At the most severe end a patient is made unconscious by drugs, and then a tube is inserted all the way into the lungs to do the breathing for the patient. Currently, we understand this is not being used for the PM. At the mildest end, the patient is awake and just has some support with a tightly fitting mask, and higher pressure is applied to the airways through the mask, for example, CPAP, which is continuous positive airway pressure."

Prof. Derek Hill, professor of medical imaging at University College London (UCL) told that the PM was taken to the hospital after being breathless and he will need to use a ventilator if the case worsens.

One of the researched about COVID-19 in all countries states that men are more at risk than women, especially those who are older than 40. Patients under 60 recover more easily than the elder after being infected with the coronavirus.

Prof. Linda Bauld from the University of Edinburgh warned everyone again after the case of PM Boris Johnson being admitted to ICU. She reminded:

"Anyone, anywhere, including the most privileged in our society, can be affected and can become seriously ill. For now, however, all our thoughts will be with the Prime Minister and his family, and the many other families who are facing similar circumstances with critically ill relatives."