A Kiwi nurse played a part in Boris Johnson’s remarkable recovery from Covid-19 after he was discharged from St Thomas’ hospital on Easter Sunday.
"I have today left hospital after a week in which the NHS has saved my life, no question," the British Prime Minister said.
Recuperating at Chequers, his country house in Buckinghamshire, Mr Johnson took to social media to thank NHS staff for saving his life in particular a Kiwi nurse, one of two, who watched over him during his dark days.
"And I hope they won’t mind if I mention in particular two nurses who stood by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way. They are Jenny from New Zealand – Invercargill on the South Island to be exact – and Luis from Portugal – near Porto," Mr Johnson said.
"And the reason in the end my body did start to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed," he added.
"So that is how I also know that across this country, 24 hours a day, for every second of every hour, there are hundreds of thousands of NHS staff who are acting with the same care and thought and precision as Jenny and Luis."
Within minutes of his release from hospital Mr Johnson’s pregnant fiancée Carrie Symonds tweeted she was "feeling incredibly lucky" and also praised NHS staff for all their work during the couple's toughest week.
"There were times last week that were very dark indeed. My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones," she tweeted.
Mr Johnson was first admitted last weekend after struggling to shake off the virus and was placed in intensive care after his condition worsened.
"On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work" a No 10 spokesperson said.
The coronavirus death toll in the UK has now exceeded 10,000, with 10,612 people dead.
SHARE ME