Coronavirus: Boris Johnson nurse says ‘he absolutely needed’ intensive care
Written by News on 23/04/2020
A New Zealand nurse praised by Boris Johnson for helping save his life when he was struck down with coronavirus has denied suggestions he got special treatment, saying he “absolutely needed” intensive care.
Jenny McGee, from Invercargill on the South Island, was one of two medics namechecked by the prime minister after he left critical care as he recovered from COVID-19.
Ms McGee says she was “shocked” when she heard the PM had singled her out for praise.
“My first reaction was that it was a joke! I thought my friends were playing a joke on me. I wasn’t expecting it… it was totally out of the blue and it was just shock. I couldn’t believe that was what he said on TV.”
She says she was getting ready for a night shift when she first heard.
“Someone texted me saying ‘Jenny from New Zealand’ and I was like ‘wow I think that’s me’.”
Ms McGee rejected any notion he was moved into the intensive care unit at St Thomas’ Hospital in London when his symptoms did not warrant it.
“We take it very seriously who comes into intensive care, these patients who come into us it’s a very scary thing for them so we don’t take it lightly and he absolutely needed to be there,” she said,
The PM had praised the “exemplary” care he received from doctors and nurses at the hospital during his treatment, saying: “I owe them my life.”
“I can’t thank them enough,” he said.
“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.”
He named “Jenny from New Zealand and Luis from Portugal” – Ms McGee, and Luis Pitarma, from Aveiro on the west coast of Portugal.
“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.”
Mr Johnson is currently staying at Chequers, where Number 10 said he was making “good progress” in his recovery.
More follows…
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Boris Johnson nurse says ‘he absolutely needed’ intensive care
