UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for tests for coronavirus

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Elizabeth II calls to battle the pandemic with strength and discipline 4:14

(CNN) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to the hospital for tests, Downing Street said on Sunday, after days of displaying coronavirus symptoms.

"On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister was admitted to the hospital for tests tonight," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement, adding that the tests were part of a "precautionary step" due to the persistent Johnson symptoms.

He was expected to spend the night in the hospital, a Downing Street source told CNN.

Johnson, 55, announced he had tested positive for the virus on March 27, describing cough and fever in a video posted on Twitter. In an update on Friday, Johnson said he continued to experience high temperatures.

In its Sunday message, Downing Street said "the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus."

"The Prime Minister thanks the NHS staff for all their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government's advice to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives," he added.

Johnson had been running the government remotely during his isolation and remains in charge despite his hospitalization.

CNN medical analyst Dr. Kent Sepkowitz, a physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York and professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, said hospital visits may be necessary to perform tests such as a CT scan of the chest or a sophisticated blood test.

A hospital-grade blood oxygen test could show "several more variables of lung function and could indicate if you are tired and exhausted, or if you really are in danger," Sepkowitz said.

Several of the people around Johnson have also tested positive or experienced symptoms suggesting a coronavirus infection. Her pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, also experienced symptoms of covid-19, and said over the weekend that she was "on the mend."

Symonds, 32, took to Twitter on Saturday to encourage other pregnant women to follow health advice, adding that she had not been tested.

“I have spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of the coronavirus. I didn't need to get tested, and after seven days off, I feel stronger and I'm improving, ”he tweeted.

Johnson's secretary of state for health, Matt Hancock, said on March 27 that he had the virus, and medical director Chris Whitty announced that he would begin self-isolation after showing symptoms of covid-19.

Johnson belatedly abided by the strict social distancing measures in place in the UK. Just a few weeks ago, the prime minister boasted of shaking hands with coronavirus patients at the hospital. At the time, the UK was facing criticism for a more cautious approach to restrictive measures taken by its European neighbors. Now he is running to catch up in terms of testing and social distancing.

Reports provided by Luke McGee and Arman Azad.

Boris Johnson