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Boris Johnson in intensive care

doctorf said:
There are a couple of things I can’t get straight.
Firstly, why the illness is so innocuous in some and so severe in others, despite similar age, sex, medical history.
Secondly and more importantly is the subject of masks. I believe the clever boys when they say that ordinary masks do not stop you catching the virus, but surely they prevent asymptomatic sufferers from spreading it around. what is the rationale for not insisting on the wearing of masks by everyone of out of the house, especially in confined areas such as public transport or in shops, banks etc?
A paper in last week’s Nature surely proves the point.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0843-2.pdf
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No disrespect here doctor f, but you of all people will know that there isn't a consensus even in the medical community re general use of masks. You'll be better equipped than the rest of us to look at informed debate on both sides and view it in the light of CDC, WHO and NHS guidance in both clinical and non clinical situations. You know that it varies according to the setting. Christ, even I know this after a few conversations with my medical safety pal. You'll also be familiar with the different types of masks and respirators available and where they are applicable in various NHS settings. If I were you I'd hardly be asking on here. Again, no disrespect, but with your training and expertise and access to very learned and expert colleagues on both sides of the argument this is surely a case of "Doctor, heal thyself", no?
 
farfromthesun said:
Gove says Johnson is not on a ventilator. Which means he probably is.
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I reckon he's not, sensible thing would be to admit the PM to intensive care a bit before other people (the Times suggested he's been given less oxygen than "normal" ICU admissions) and keep a ventilator on standby in case he needs it.

I expect he'll pull through.
 
droodzilla said:
I see a lot of this.

In one respect it's trivially true. There is no known effective treatment for the virus so the patient's immune system has to fight it, unaided.

But in one respect, it's almost certainly false. As you suggest, medics can intervene to prevent acute issues from overwhelming the body while the patient fights the virus, thus buying time - hence ventilators, draining the lungs of fluid, dialysis machines and the whole paraphernalia of ICU. However, those interventions must be timely (it's a matter of life and death), which is why ICUs in normal times have one nurse per patient.

However, I'm seeing reports that, in the midst of the COVID-19 surge, ICU nurses are having to monitor mutliple patients (maybe up to half a dozen) and, while I'm sure their efforts are heroic, it's hard to imagine some patients not falling through the cracks created when people are overstretched.

So it's hard to imagine the PM of the UK is being treated in an overstretched ICU in quite the same way as any other patient. As a minimum, I expect he has dedicated medical staff monitoring his condition and ready to act swiftly if it shows any sign of deteriorating. I make no judgement on whether this is right or wrong. Perhaps it is inevitable, but let's not pretend this virus eliminates all the special treatment that wealth and privilege secures.
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I understand that it's very complicated to nurse someone off a ventilator, and requires a great deal of hands on, but that's only anecdotal. I read this morning that one hospital has only managed to recover two patients so far.
 
Rcook said:
Boris is by far the best PM we've had in a long time, I reckon since Maggie Thatcher (who, love or hate her, was strong, decisive, and got the country back on its feet after the utterly catastrophic Labour government of the late 70s). Boris has done more good for this country since last summer, and particularly since the last election, than every PM from John Major onwards, mainly by getting us out of the EU. I hope he pulls through, the country needs him.
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is this satire?
 
Heckyman said:
I reckon he's not, sensible thing would be to admit the PM to intensive care a bit before other people (as the Times suggested, he's been given less oxygen than "normal" ICU admissions) and keep a ventilator on standby in case he needs it.

I expect he'll pull through.
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This is what I'd have thought too. Who knows, though, given that lying is the default.
 
Rcook said:
Boris is by far the best PM we've had in a long time, I reckon since Maggie Thatcher (who, love or hate her, was strong, decisive, and got the country back on its feet after the utterly catastrophic Labour government of the late 70s). Boris has done more good for this country since last summer, and particularly since the last election, than every PM from John Major onwards, mainly by getting us out of the EU. I hope he pulls through, the country needs him.
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Lol
 
gavreid said:
I understand that it's very complicated to nurse someone off a ventilator, and requires a great deal of hands on, but that's only anecdotal. I read this morning that one hospital has only managed to recover two patients so far.
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It took about 3-4 weeks to get my 78-year old dad completely weaned off being intubated on a ventilator (3-4 weeks of a tracheotomy is horrible - you can't talk to anyone, it's so frustrating) and then he occasionally had need for a CPAC / nebulizer. The problem is that if you've been on it for a while, you're dependent upon it and need to retrain and regain strength in your chest muscles and if you're recovering from something that has caused fluid build up you're in no fit state to exercise. As I said up thread, being intubated on a ventilator keeps you breathing but it won't save you - that's on you - and can be up to 12 months of rehab before you're out of the 'danger zone'.
 
Suffolk Tony,
Firstly may I add my deepest sympathy for the loss of your brother it’s a terrible thing that so many people are losing there lives to this malevolent illness.
However your overall assessment is typical of the Political thread on this site which ultimately manifest itself through the reverberating echo chamber and bubble that many here reside in.
If any other leader be it labour or Lib Dem were overseeing the response to what are unprecedented times you would still find a way to blame Boris Johnson and the conservatives for all the deaths irrespective if Boris survives this or not.
Other members will be passing through this thread just taking it in and not commenting,
you do have to wonder what the majority of people will be thinking with posts like yours given where johnson is at the moment.
He also has a family.
 
Mike Reed said:
Potentially. Unfortunately, he hasn't been allowed to show his full potential. Whilst being an enigmatic choice of leader, a leader he most certainly is, and the country needs a strong and dedicated leader like no time since 1945. If Boris sinks, the country, already constrained, sinks a little; not something anybody needs right now.
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Thanks for cutting through my anxiety with an absolute pearler of a post. I really needed a laugh this morning ta. I cant wait for the reruns of The Comedians you were great.
 
jont said:
Suffolk Tony,
Firstly may I add my deepest sympathy for the loss of your brother it’s a terrible thing that so many people are losing there lives to this malevolent illness.
However your overall assessment is typical of the Political thread on this site which ultimately manifest itself through the reverberating echo chamber and bubble that many here reside in.
If any other leader be it labour or Lib Dem were overseeing the response to what are unprecedented times you would still find a way to blame Boris Johnson and the conservatives for all the deaths irrespective if Boris survives this or not.
Other members will be passing through this thread just taking it in and not commenting,
you do have to wonder what the majority of people will be thinking with posts like yours given where johnson is at the moment.
He also has a family.
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I think it was the brother of the article’s author that Tony pasted. I didn’t read anything contentious in the article.
 
I gather Mikey was on the Today programme this morning. How is it OK that he can come on and spew platitudes about Johnson's condition, when in other situations involving government policy, he and the rest of the cabinet are banned from appearing?
 
Nero said:
I gather Mikey was on the Today programme this morning. How is it OK that he can come on and spew platitudes about Johnson's condition, when in other situations involving government policy, he and the rest of the cabinet are banned from appearing?
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That's a rhetorical question, right? ;)
 
Does Dominic Raab now have the nuclear codes or, because he hasn't resigned , does Boris retain that responsibility ...whilst in intensive care ?
 
Joe said:
Does Dominic Raab now have the nuclear codes or, because he hasn't resigned , does Boris retain that responsibility ...whilst in intensive care ?
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Michael Gove rather fudged that very question on R4 this morning - in a slightly croaky interview and now he`s self isolating, though apparently because of a family member showing symptoms....
 
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