PM Imran wishes Boris Johnson speedy recovery from COVID-19

UK premier is now said to be stable in ICU after receiving oxygen support to help him battle coronavirus

Prime Minister Imran Khan has conveyed best wishes and prayers for the earliest recovery and good health of his British counterpart Boris Johnson, who has been taken to intensive care unit after his COVID-19 symptoms worsened.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Johnson on Tuesday, Imran Khan also underscored the importance of Pakistan and United Kingdom working together to overcome the formidable challenges posed by coronavirus and building a safer world, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Boris Johnson is now said to be stable in intensive care after receiving oxygen support to help him battle the deadly virus, while his foreign minister led the government’s response to the accelerating outbreak.

The upheaval of Johnson’s personal battle with the coronavirus has shaken the government just as the UK enters what scientists say will be the most deadly phase of the pandemic, which has killed 5,373 people in Britain and 70,000 worldwide.

British PM Boris Johnson with coronavirus symptoms 'stable' in intensive care

Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital across the River Thames from the House of Commons late on Sunday after suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms, including a high temperature and a cough, for more than 10 days.

But his condition rapidly deteriorated over the next 24 hours, and he was moved on Monday to an intensive care unit, where the most serious cases are treated, in case he needed to be put on a ventilator. He was still conscious, his office said.

“He is receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any other assistance,” Johnson’s spokesman, who traditionally speaks without his name being published, told reporters.

The United Kingdom is in a state of virtual lockdown, a situation due to be reviewed early next week, and some ministers have suggested it might need to be extended because some people were flouting the strict rules.

(With additional input from Reuters)