Boris Johnson tests positive for Covid-19

[Yossarian]

If Johnson survives this he may have some Damascene conversion to be a better human being as he staggers around in his post-Virus world lucky to be alive saved by the NHS. Well we have to dream in these dark times , don't we ?

If doctors tell Johnson that he beat the odds and survived because a dedicated team of NHS workers worked extremely hard to save him, the thing he'll take away from that conversation is that he beat the virus because he's special, just like he always knew he was.

 

[Spymaster]

... inadvertently accidentally ...

I’m not sure if this is a tautology, a pleonasm, or a tautological pleonasm, but it’s one of those.

 

[FabricLiveBaby!]

The reports that he hasn't been put on a ventilator are coming from downing Street alongside the stuff about "precautionary" intensive care. I suspect complete bullshit but the media are not questioning it.

50/50 chance of surviving is the figure widely reported, but as I skim-read the last dozen or so pages, someone mentioned that was the recovery rate for of all C-19 intensive care unit cases, whereas recovery is even less for those that end-up on ventilators, and they seem correct.



And, for a lot that survive, their future could be fairly grim.



Assuming reports are true, he has received oxygen, but hasn't [yet] been put on invasive ventilation.

At this point does anyone believe Johnson is not on a ventilator?

His "gone to hospital for tests" was the "move to ICU" and his "move to ICU" was "put on a ventilator".

When we hear "the prime minister is very poorly" you know he's a goner.

I said he'd get through this earlier in the thread because the doctors would do everything they can, especially being the head of state. We'll they've done that, so it really is last chance cigar for the dude. Its on him now, and I hadn't considered his health. I'm not that convinced he will survive.

Either outcome will be intolerable - not because he'd be alive or dead, but the reaction of the meeja and the fawning goons all over Facebook with their "we love u bozzaaaah" nonsense and moaning about the "lefties" gloating.

A few weeks back I saw some guy going on about how if "Jezza" got it it would be the best year ever. Buch of hypocrites honestly.

 

[Petcha]

A few weeks back I saw some guy going on about how if jezza got it it would be the best year ever. Buch of Hypocrites honestly.

What if Trump got it?

I actually have sympathy for Boris on this one but if Donald got the bat-flu... hmmm... I'm usually a compassionate person but I don't think I'd be willing his survival.

 

[Red Cat]

I think the prime minister dying will be frightening for a lot of people. I can imagine that will be really quite scary to children regardless of their parents politics. And it's certainly not going to make anything easier on the frontline of healthcare.

 

[danny la rouge]

‘Mr Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise "where necessary"’.

Mr Johnson has not done any such thing. He’s very ill. The idea that he’s sitting up in bed with a pile of dossiers on his lap dictating memos over Zoom is bizarre. From my limited experience of ICU people there are not well.

 

[bimble]

I think the prime minister dying will be frightening for a lot of people. I can imagine that will be really quite scary to a lot of children regardless of their parents politics. And it's certainly not going to make anything easier on the frontline of healthcare.

Yep. Everything is already the weirdest and most disorienting many of us in this country have seen in our sheltered lifetimes and the pm dying in the middle of it would not help. Him getting really sick probably has done some good but yeah, and an unelected pm not better in the circumstances.

 

[LDC]

I think the prime minister dying will be frightening for a lot of people. I can imagine that will be really quite scary to children regardless of their parents politics. And it's certainly not going to make anything easier on the frontline of healthcare.

Someone made a very good point earlier that it'll be quite upsetting for other people with CV symptoms, especially those with worse ones.

 

[FabricLiveBaby!]

What if Trump got it?

I actually have sympathy for Boris on this one but if Donald got the bat-flu... hmmm... I'm usually a compassionate person but I don't think I'd be willing his survival.

Honestly my first reaction to the what if is .

I can't quite muster strong feelings for these politicos either way. Their politics, yes, but them as people? I don't know them, I've never met them, the only picture we get from them are through the media lens.

It's sad people are dying and I wish it wasn't happening, but mustering an extreme emotional response to every person's death as if I knew them, whether that's willing survival (which is as pointless as clapping for NHS cash to magically appear) or hoping for death, would be quite frankly exhausting and unhealthy.

Edit to add, for the people suffering from. COVID19, for the government, and for NHS morale these deaths of high importance individuals would be very bad.

 

[Petcha]

‘Mr Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise "where necessary"’.

Mr Johnson has not done any such thing. He’s very ill. The idea that he’s sitting up in bed with a pile of dossiers on his lap dictating memos over Zoom is bizarre. From my limited experience of ICU people there are not well.

He's allegedly still conscious. It doesn't take much to authorise his successor.

 

[platinumsage]

‘Mr Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise "where necessary"’.

Mr Johnson has not done any such thing. He’s very ill. The idea that he’s sitting up in bed with a pile of dossiers on his lap dictating memos over Zoom is bizarre. From my limited experience of ICU people there are not well.

No he's just gone to ICU as a precaution on the off-chance that doctors might think it an idea to pop him on a ventilator for a wee while, out of an abundance of caution.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I think the prime minister dying will be frightening for a lot of people. I can imagine that will be really quite scary to children regardless of their parents politics. And it's certainly not going to make anything easier on the frontline of healthcare.

Exactly. If they can’t save the PM, what chance me?

 

[bimble]

He's allegedly still conscious. It doesn't take much to authorise his successor.

20 hours since the last tweet purportedly by him.

 

[danny la rouge]

No he's just gone to ICU as a precaution on the off-chance that doctors feel it might be a an idea to pop him on a ventilator for a wee while, out of an abundance of caution.

I find that the NHS always gives up ICU beds to people as a precaution in case they might need to be in ICU at some point in the future.

 

[danny la rouge]

He's allegedly still conscious. It doesn't take much to authorise his successor.

He had no need, though. Raab would have been deputising anyway.

 

[Pickman's model]

It's still useful from a perspective of getting him drugged up and on 02 nice and early.

Yeh but surely they could give him a phone on a decent network with better connectivity

 

[chilango]

I think the prime minister dying will be frightening for a lot of people. I can imagine that will be really quite scary to children regardless of their parents politics. And it's certainly not going to make anything easier on the frontline of healthcare.

My daughter asked me last night if we were getting a new Prime Minister.

She's in tears at bed time most nights right now and doesn't want to leave us alone.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I suspect that this adds to the gathering logic for a GNU. Firstly, if Johnson pulls through, the recovery time and rest is likely to be a matter of weeks and not days. Decisions will have to be made about who is governing and how and for how long it would be necessary. The CS would, I assume, now be drawing up proposals to ‘move beyond politics’ and to have a cabinet of ‘all of the talents’ for reassurance and order purposes.

Second, the election of Starmer and the assurances he’s offered about not ‘scoring points’ were clearly carefully scripted and in lock step with Johnson’s letter offering partnership talks and Privy Council access. GNU was already on the agenda, the health of the PM makes it more

Third, as the Virus becomes ‘real’ in the popular consciousness (and Johnson being ill will affect this considerably) the Tories will want to share the effort (blame) as the peak arrives.

Fourth, the time for the new consensus that is going to be needed here is most definitely coming. That consensus is state capitalism to bail out capital. History indicates that this works better and achieves consent quicker under GNU exceptionalism.

I hope Johnson recovers, but whether he does or does not, the political and democratic crisis we are living through (and which his condition sharpens) is unprecedented in all of our lives

 

[danny la rouge]

My younger daughter (20) lives in Edinburgh. She experiences depression and a load of other issues. It’s very, very hard on her that she can’t come to us when she needs to. And frankly that’s hard on us too.

So, yeah. It’s not all fun.

 

[Petcha]

My daughter asked me last night if we were getting a new Prime Minister.

She's in tears at bed time most nights right now and doesn't want to leave us alone.

There's a whole generation here which is going to have a very weird upbringing. My son is 3. He doesn't live with me unfortunately so we are maintaining contact through Skype and will be for the foreseeable future. He'll also grow up thinking social distancing is normal, because even when the lockdown is lifted it's going to take people a very long time to feel comfortable doing things like shake hands. It's so sad.

 

[chilango]

Yeah. I remember the impact childhood fear of the bomb had my generation. This will be way worse.

 

[nogojones]

Someones going to have to pull that fridge meme out again

I agree with your sentiment. But is there any evidence that he was personally responsible for all that?

Yes. He is the fucking Prime Minister

 

[brogdale]

Not on ventilator.
This morning's line.

 

[phillm]

An intensive care consultant just said in an interview with Adam Boulton, on Sky, that surviving ICU patients often suffer very long term psychological cognitive and physical problems which need to be dealt with.

 

[danny la rouge]

Not on ventilator.
This morning's line.

Not dead. He’s being buried as a precaution.

 

[LDC]

Not on ventilator.
This morning's line.

I believe that. The hospital have said he's on 4l of oxygen flow, probably nasally.

 

[ska invita]

He'll also grow up thinking social distancing is normal, because even when the lockdown is lifted it's going to take people a very long time to feel comfortable doing things like shake hands. It's so sad.

I don't think that's true. My impression of people from east asia who have been through this before is whilst they are perhaps generally more germ aware there isn't any hang up about permanent social distancing.

 

[ska invita]

~

 

[Petcha]

I don't think that's true. My impression of people from east asia who have been through this before is whilst they are perhaps generally more germ aware there isn't any hang up about permanent social distancing.

Nobody's been through this since 1918. Bird flu kind of pales in comparison to whats going on here.

 

[brogdale]

I believe that. The hospital have said he's on 4l of oxygen flow, probably nasally.

Bow to greater knowledge of such matters, but I still don't believe a single word they're saying.