BORIS Johnson has been discharged from hospital a week after being admitted with severe coronavirus symptoms.

The Prime Minster was admitted to St Thomas’s Hospital in London on Sunday last week and was transferred to its intensive care unit the next day where he spent three nights and received oxygen before returning to a ward on Thursday.

In a video statement yesterday hours after his discharge, he said the NHS had “saved my life, no question”, as he heaped praise on frontline staff who saw him pull through.

He praised a list of nurses and doctors who had looked after him by name, and gave extra thanks to Jenny and Luis, saying their care and interventions were “the reason in the end my body did start to get enough oxygen”.

He said: “That is how I also know that across this country, 24 hours a day, for every second of every hour, there are hundreds of thousands of NHS staff who are acting with the same care and thought and precision as Jenny and Luis.

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“That is why we will defeat this coronavirus and defeat it together. We will win because our NHS is the beating heart of this country. It is the best of this country. It is unconquerable. It is powered by love.”

He also praised and thanked the public for observing social distancing when “the whole natural world seems at its loveliest and the outdoors is so inviting”.

However, he made no mention of the criticism that has dogged the government in recent weeks over its failure to get personal protective equipment to all NHS and care staff who need it, the problems with increasing testing and the UK’s daily mortality rate having exceeded the deadliest days in Italy and Spain. Number 10 said the Prime Minister will head to Chequers to continue his recovery, leaving Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, deputising for him.

A spokesman said: “On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas’ for the brilliant care he has received. All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness.”

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Johnson is expected to recuperate for at least a couple of weeks. Raab has already announced the UK’s lockdown will continue beyond the initial three-week period set out by Johnson and may have to take further decisions in the coming days about how much longer it should stay in place.

The Prime Minister’s fiancée Carrie Symonds, who is expecting the couple’s baby, meanwhile said Johnson had faced a “very dark” time as she paid tribute to “magnificent” NHS staff.

Symonds, 32, who is due to give birth in two months, said on Twitter: “Thank you also to everyone who sent such kind messages of support. Today I’m feeling incredibly lucky.

“There were times last week that were very dark indeed. My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones. I cannot thank our magnificent NHS enough. The staff at St Thomas’ Hospital have been incredible.”

Symonds has been self-isolating with coronavirus-like symptoms but has not been tested. She added: “I will never, ever be able to repay you and I will never stop thanking you.”

Reports last night said Symonds is joining Johnson at Chequers.

Johnson was taken into hospital after his coronavirus symptoms, including a cough and a high temperature, persisted.

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