Boris Johnson admitted to hospital

The strap line on Sky news is saying he is NOT on a ventilator!

Am I correct in thinking that there are two types of ventilator?

Boris Johnson has been intubated & is on a ventilator in ICU St Thomas

Baloo. Could you provide a link for this please?

I hope Boris pulls through this. It’s looking more serious now. Strangely I ‘rely’ on him to get us through these uncertain times. I like his chutzpah, his optimism, his ‘can do’ approach. I’m missing his presence already.

His family must be so worried.

I totally agree Urmstongran. I have always liked Boris and I feel he is a very capable leader. I’m really worried about him because I feel the country needs him at the moment, and obviously on a personal level, this is devastating for Carrie and his family. Please God, he pulls through.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday: "The prime minister's not on a ventilator. He has received oxygen support."

I expect he's on a CPAP machine, which indicates a level of dependency far below that needing an invasive ventilator.

He's not on a ventilator or CPAP. In the BBC news he was said to be in good spirits and having oxygen via non invasive means.

It was the Russians who were exaggerating the seriousness of Boris's condition. They don't have any secret channels of knowledge that we are not privy to - it is just wishful thinking. Vladimir would love to hear bad news about the British PM, so much so that he is happy to invent it.

CPAP is non invasive.

It specifically said he was not on CPAP. Just conventional oxygen. I suppose that's either a mask or those we thingys that clip round your nostrils.

I wonder why he is in intensive care if that is the case - the beds are at a premium.

In case his condition suddenly became much worse I guess!

Luckygirl I would imagine, like any other patient, that he's being nursed there because his medical team feel that is the most appropriate place.

Intensive care isn't just ventilators.

Oopsminty Hello,I didn't read it ...media aren't being told correct info,probably to keep morale up?? But I know his condition for certain.

Just because he is in ICU does NOT mean he is on a ventilator!!

If that’s the case, Baloothefitz you’re breaking patient confidentiality which is a very serious matter indeed.

When people have Covid 19 persistently the danger is it compromises the lungs and a breathing crisis can suddenly occur. People can die very rapidly. Because of his status, ( no problem with that) the PM is in ITU so he is in the right place should such a crisis occur. Most patients just needing oxygen would be managed on a ward. It’s a precaution.

We may or may not be getting told all the truth - but looking at it as reasonably intelligent people, we can surely go along with that for the moment and keep our most pessimistic thoughts to ourselves?

Government is more than just one person, the rest of the cabinet and MPs are working together to do the best they can in an emergency situation (we may not agree with them on all subjects, but on managing the virus they have the advice and support of the best experts they can get hold of, and examples in front of them of countries who are ahead of us in the struggle)

On the other hand, news that the Prime Minister is in intensive care is enough to frighten those who are already scared. I would not blame the cabinet if they gave out the most optimistic bulletins they could manage (stopping short of implying he is sitting up in bed with a bottle of Bolly and a caviar sandwich)

Spot on as ever Elegran. I did have a horrible fright this morning when I found via my Twitter feed that Pakistan and Nigerian news report that he had died. True? False? Don't know what to think.

Don’t threads on here get weird !

I wonder where Pakistan and Nigeria got that from, Jane? From Vladimir, perhaps? Sowing panic?

My other thought on this is if anyone tells us, for instance, that they have a relative who works in St Thomas's who has leaked to them the information that blah blah blah we should take this third-hand (at least) news as a rumour, not gospel.

I am sure that rumours are circulating like wildfire round the corridors of St T's, and being taken home and repeated like Chinese whispers round their friends and families, and reported and shared on social media round the world.

They will grow with the telling. According to legend, a reporter found the author Mark Twain, and asked him what comment he had about the rumour that he was dead. As the story goes, Mark Twain replied, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

According to the papers online, his temperature has started to come down, which can only be taken as a good sign.