# Boris Johnson moved to ICU **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 6, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212 "2020-04-06T19:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/61 "2020-04-08T21:26:46Z")
I don’t like the guy and think he’s leading the UK in the wrong direction, but certainly don’t wish him dead. Hopefully, when he recovers, he’ll have a newfound appreciation for the NHS. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/62 "2020-04-09T01:14:23Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’m quite sure that the two are not synonymous. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I don’t like the guy and think he’s leading the UK in the wrong direction, but certainly don’t wish him dead. Hopefully, when he recovers, he’ll have a newfound appreciation for the NHS. Yeah, hopefully that doesn’t count as a political jab? But that’s exactly how I feel. I would have been happy had he lost the election, but I certainly don’t want him to die. I wish him all the best health-wise. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/63 "2020-04-12T02:39:01Z")
Boris thanks NHS staff; his half-brother criticizes the PM’s earlier medical treatment: [Boris Johnson thanks hospital staff, saying 'I owe them my life' | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/uk/boris-johnson-brother-max-coronavirus-intl-gbr/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/64 "2020-04-12T13:57:25Z")
Boris leaves hospital, but will not return to work for a while: > **[Boris Johnson leaves hospital as he continues recovery from coronavirus](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/12/boris-johnson-leaves-hospital-as-he-continues-recovery-from-coronavirus)** > > Prime minister had spent time in intensive care at St Thomas’ and will continue recovery at Chequers ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/65 "2020-04-12T16:28:44Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > He’s fucked. You were saying…? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/66 "2020-04-12T16:35:51Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You were saying…? He got lucky. But to add to that, his doctors and people around him did exactly what should have been done: erred on the side of caution and rushed him to more aggressive care before he was actually critically ill. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212/67 "2020-04-12T17:39:48Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Maybe so, but I’m almost certain that this doctor specifically named CPAP. And Google searches for “covid-19 cpap” do turn up an awful lot of news articles indicating that CPAP machines are being used for Covid-19 patients. (For example, here’s [one from _The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/f1-team-helps-build-new-uk-breathing-aid-for-covid-19-patients).) Puzzlegirl is right about the problems with using CPAP machines however that can be mitigated with the type of mask used. A traditional CPAP or BPAP machine used for sleep apnea will force filtered air into the patient but they breath it out through the mask. That type of mask will actually aerosolize the virus under pressure and greatly increase the danger to those around them. A ventilator is filtered in both directions. However, you could use a mask that filters the air going out. I don’t know the extent to which these are available but it would be much easier going forward to stockpile the masks then to stockpile ventilators. We could have 100,000 CPAP or BPAP machines in a day with a phone call. I’m guessing this is what they did in Italy with a [modified scuba mask.](https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-doctor-in-italy-says-new-innovative-treatments-flattening-the-curve/) I would add that unless you’re sedated this is would be preferable to a tube down your throat and may also do away with the need for scarce negative-pressure hospital rooms. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-moved-to-icu/851212.md?page=3)