Boris’ latest message.

[EyUpMeDuck]

It’s good to see Boris is getting better. He said in his video message that he went through a critical 48 hours and it could have gone either way. Do you think the early intervention and oxygen helped save him? Would he likely have pulled through if he was treated like you or I and had to be turning blue or unable to finish his sentences before receiving hospital intervention?

How nice for you @LizzieSiddal But for most of us there is no treatment on offer to ease symptoms. We are told to manage at home until we literally cant breath enough to keep our o2 sats up, or we are dehydrated. That's the policy. It's not the fault of nhs staff but it is true that we are kept at home with symptoms which would previously seen us xrayed or admitted.

ITV3 are showing Carry on Up The Khyber

One of Kenneth Williams lines in this film is
"Nonsense dear The British are used to cuts"

I don't think its meant as a criticism of NHS workers and their intentions - it is about the underfunding of the NHS and how many agonising choices they are being forced to make treating Covid on the front line?Meanwhile, rightly or wrongly, our Esteemed Leader appears to sail in and get the best treatment available at the front of the queue. I don't wish this bastard virus on anyone, but is it really fair for someone with all the advantages of access to the top medical advisors in the country to be such a complete prat; directly contributed to his own illness, and then taken up a bed in an overstretched hospital? Not been much of a leader so far - he managed to inform us he was imposing lockdown without actually using the word lockdown in his speech! But at least he wasn't sitting beside anyone infecting them as well at that time. If I was a Nurse he would not have been at the top of my list for which patient to treat first... Luckily Im not a medic.

twitter.com/laineydoyle/status/1249127908876128259?s=19

This thread makes sobering reading.

Did anyone see the documentary about Bergamo on Sky just before the news conference? The major international teaching hospital in the city patients on gurneys in waiting rooms, in corridors. They were overwhelmed.

As time goes on it appears that with very few exceptions every country's health service, whether public or private or a mixture, whatever proportion of GDP is spent by that country, is being overwhelmed.

Yet this is being turned into the usual Labour/Tory slanging match.
All so easy for the keyboard warriors.

BoredSheep
Your comment like others is missing the point. He has been treated better than the average resident in the U.K.. But on apar with the average resident im Germany. I would much rather be over there. Moreover, I used to live there so I know their health care system.

Interestingly Mummy, it appears they don't have a hang up about involving the private sector either.

It's incredibly important for us internationally not to be seen to have a power vacuum with no clear leadership. I have no problem with the PM being treated in any way to avoid that.

Biology that’s true. Neither does France - although that is managed by central government - and their healthcare is generally outstanding. I do wonder if the same is going to happen here. With all private hospitals now co-opted by the nhs, this could possibly be the start... I don’t see how else a deficit can be plugged.

Hey up isn't his main residence No 10 10 minutes away and he's just gone to convalesce at Chequers which is over 40 miles. What does the guidance state?

So pleased to see you feeling better , Boris ! Great news!
Majority of the great British public feel the same... it's only on mumsnet you will find the hateful left...

Mummyoflittledragon - Germany took the right route with early testing/isolating/tracing, and avoiding too much strain on their ICU beds (to an extent they were able to take patients from both Italy and France). I can see why you'd much rather be over there in this pandemic. The system there isn't without issues entirely though - Spiegel International.

I hope that the NHS and the people who use it no longer appear to him as some political abstraction which does not touch his inner life, but is merely one more component in a political jigsaw designed to facilitate his immense ambition. Above all, I hope that he feels a burning shame and regret for being part of a cabinet which cheered and brayed when they were able to block the pay rise of nurses – I hope this shame is so great he vows never again.

www.counterpunch.org/2020/04/10/the-last-refuge-of-a-scoundrel-coronavirus-and-the-british-establishment/

I hope the experience encourages him to get the NHS what it needs now and at any time

As time goes on it appears that with very few exceptions every country's health service, whether public or private or a mixture, whatever proportion of GDP is spent by that country, is being overwhelmed.

Yes, it doesn't depend on GDP spent. But it helps to have enough beds and equipment to start with. See death rates.

But the exceptions have been countries with early containment measures and good test coverage.
See NK, but also Germany, Portugal, so far.

I wonder if there's any hope at all of him learning from the experience. Develop some maturity, show more respect, work harder, learn to really love his partners and children. Or will it be straight back to bullshit-as-usual?

@vera99 I never thought of that. He’s been allowed to travel to a home other than his main residence.

Pointing out the limitations of the nhs due to underfunding is absolutely not criticising the NHS. I felt so sorry for my lovely gp who said "am so sorry I know you are really poorly, please do call an ambulance if things get any worse" I'm lucky as have an oximeter due to asthma and I totally understand the pressures, I work for the nhs, it's a shit situation to be put in, but they are not able to see you due to infection issues and I was not prepared to call an ambulance unless I was absolutely desperate despite having breathing difficulties feeling v unwell and being asthmatic.
When I say I am genuinely happy the pm is ok I mean it, as a hcp myself I do not want anyone to suffer and the last thing we need in this country right now is a pm desperately Ill. I'm just pointing out the differences between his experience of covid19 and the majority of normal people.

@Theworldisfullofgs I read that thread. It’s a sobering read. It may be a difficult point to accept, and no one wants this virus to be political (but it is), but the UK was frighteningly and embarrassingly slow in dealing with the COVID issue. I’m glad Boris Johnson is doing well, as I would be for anyone. However the fact that he has not done well -understatement- in this pandemic remains.

But to answer your question OP. No one knows but I suspect he would not have done as well were he Mr. Joe Bloggs. And yes, I think it’ll be Straight back to Bullshit-as-usual ASAP.

Oh Jesus, some of the comments on this...! This isn’t Brexit. This is a global pandemic of the likes this world hasn’t seen in 100 years. Yes, mistakes have been made but a Labour government may have made other mistakes which would cause problems now. Can we focus on just getting through this alive and having faith in a government which was voted in by the vast majority (I wasn’t among that majority) to do all they can right now to get us through this? Of course, questions should be asked, but they are fire fighting just like other countries are and our PM was very poorly with it. Time to rally, people!

I don't care whether he had preferential treatment or not.
Whatever it takes to get him better and back to dealing with the pandemic is fine by me.

He is an important symbol - more than himself as a private citizen - so he needed to survive. It is very good for all of us that he has survived.

Lest we forget in the fawning how he came to this juncture...

^I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you will be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands. People obviously can make up their own minds but I think the scientific evidence is… our judgement is that washing your hands is the crucial thing.
At a press conference, as quoted in U.K. Leader Boris Johnson Boasts He Has Shaken Hands With Coronavirus Patients by Khaleda Rahman, 3 March 2020, Newsweek.
I want to stress that for the vast majority of the people of this country, we should be going about our business as usual.
As quoted in Coronavirus: Up to fifth of UK workers 'could be off sick at same time', 3 March 2020, BBC News.^

"Powered by love" - well it would have to be because NHS workers are certainly not in it for the money and let's not forget Boris leads the party who cheered and clapped when they froze nurses' wages. To the poster who was asking why everything has to be political I would ask how can this not be political. And is there not a supreme irony that neither of the two nurses who he wanted to specially thank came from the UK and would presumably be banned from working here under new immigration rules.

Not been much of a leader so far - he managed to inform us he was imposing lockdown without actually using the word lockdown in his speech!

Very sensible of him not to use the word.
Lockdown is when prisoners are all locked in their cells to prevent rioting or during searches.
He announced social distancing measures which don't involve people being locked up.
Social media/the tabloids called it lockdown to ramp up the drama.