Boris Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds sent letters & baby scans in hospital as it’s revealed they’ve spent month apart

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CONCERNED Carrie Symonds sent Boris Johnson daily letters and scans of their unborn baby to lift his morale in intensive care.

The couple have been apart for a month as the PM fights coronavirus. But today he was well enough to walk in a ward.

Carrie Symonds sent Boris Johnson daily letters and scans of their unborn baby to lift his morale in intensive care

Yesterday Boris, who has been in intensive care, was well enough to walk in a ward

As the daily death toll hit a record 980, a source said: “It’s been a very, very worrying time for Carrie.

“She has been urging Boris to get well for their unborn child.”

Boris, 55, is now recuperating in front of his favourite movies including black comedy Withnail And I and JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

No 10 staff have uploaded several Hollywood classics to an iPad.

They include Groundhog Day and Home Alone — fitting given Boris’s self-isolation before being rushed to St Thomas’ Hospital last Sunday.

And for the first time he has watched Love Actually — whose carol singer scene he mimicked in an election campaign video.

 

CARRIE ON FILMS

A No 10 source said yesterday: “It’s a good time to fill in some of his cultural gaps.

“It might seem odd but he has never seen Home Alone. He prefers Greek poetry, doesn’t he?”

The PM has been tackling Sudoku puzzles — and he has passed on his gratitude to the team that likely saved his life.

A No 10 spokeswoman added: “He has spoken to his doctors and thanks the whole clinical team for the incredible care he has received.

“His thoughts are with those affected by this terrible disease.”

Boris and pregnant fiancée Carrie have not seen each other for almost four weeks

Carrie and Boris opted to stay apart given NHS advice that she is in the high-risk group

HOAR can also reveal Boris and Carrie have not seen each other for almost four weeks.

She is due to give birth in two months and the couple opted to stay apart given NHS advice that she is in the high-risk group.

But she has been keeping in constant touch to keep his spirits up.

As revealed in yesterday’s Sun there was huge relief late on Thursday when doctors decided Boris was well enough to leave the intensive care unit after three days and nights of worry.

No 10 said he was in “very good spirits” on his first day back on a ward, where he and other patients are under close examination.

Mr Johnson has also been giving staff his trademark thumbs-up.

He is expected to still be using an oxygen mask, which is usual for Covid-19 sufferers who have been seriously ill.

No 10 insisted the PM’s recovery was “just beginning”, and it was far too early to put a date on his return to work yet.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is back on a ward and continuing his recovery, which is at an early stage. Mr Johnson continues to be in very good spirits.

“As the PM was being taken back to the ward from ICU he was waving to the staff and hopefully it was clear to them that he was waving his gratitude.”

Insiders revealed that Get Well cards and letters for the PM have arrived at No 10 in their “thousands and thousands”.

‘HE MUST REST UP’

The messages — many penned by children — are being kept in boxes for Boris to go through individually on his return.

No 10 also said Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will continue to deputise for the PM for as long as it takes him to recover.

Mr Raab and the Cabinet have the authority to take any decisions they need to on fighting the crisis.

Mr Johnson will be consulted as soon as he is well enough.

Dad Stanley yesterday told how he feared Boris was close to death after being rushed into intensive care while struggling to breathe.

He said: “To use that American expression, he almost took one for the team, and we’ve got to make sure we play properly now.”

Stanley said he would insist on his son taking a good chunk of time off to recuperate properly.

Some in No 10 think that could mean up to a month away.

The PM is expected to convalesce in his country retreat, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire.

Stanley said: “He must rest up. I don’t think you can say this is out of the woods now.

“He has to take time.

“I cannot believe you can walk away from this and get straight back to Downing Street and pick up the reins without a period of readjustment.”

Stanley, a former Tory MEP and I’m A Celebrity star, also said the whole family were “amazingly grateful” for the efforts of the NHS and of the huge outpouring of support for his son.

Scientists have produced a day-by-day breakdown of the typical Covid-19 symptoms

Scientists have produced a day-by-day breakdown of the typical Covid-19 symptoms

An expert has suggested that the PM is likely to feel as if he has been “hit by several buses” and will need time to recover from Covid-19.

Cambridge-based consultant virologist Dr Chris Smith said being ill enough to need intensive care treatment leaves patients “weak and exhausted” for a long time.

Dr Smith, who also presents the Naked Scientists podcast, said the PM will be told to take it easy for some weeks when he is discharged from hospital.

Meanwhile the PM’s top adviser Dominic Cummings had to pull out of a conference call about new ventilator orders last week as he is seriously ill with the virus.

Mr Cummings, 48, has been working from his North London home but is still struggling after nearly two weeks.

A source said: “He is not well at all.

“He was due to hold a conference call with an open source ventilator project on Wednesday with a number of people involved in the procurement and logistics process but couldn’t even appear on it because he was feeling so bad.

“It was hoped he was over the worst of it but he’s still struggling.

“Fortunately he’s been able to deal with it at home.”

Mr Cummings was last seen running from Downing Street hours after it was announced that Mr Johnson has tested positive.

Downing Street refused to comment on Mr Cummings’ health, simply saying: “He is not in No 10 but he is in contact.”

The RMT union today suspended assistant chief Steve Hedley from his £100,000-a-year role after he said he would “throw a party” if Mr Johnson died.

No 10 insisted the PM’s recovery was ‘just beginning’, and it was far too early to put a date on his return to work yet

Get well cards and letters for the PM have arrived at No 10 in their ‘thousands and thousands’

Boris’ dad Stanley said of his son: ‘He must rest up. I don’t think you can say this is out of the woods now’