Boris Johnson: I owe coronavirus doctors and nurses my life after treatment

Pre-Advanced
2021-01-22

Boris Johnson has praised the “exemplary” care he has received from doctors and nurses during his coronavirus treatment, saying: “I owe them my life.”

Mr. Johnson spent his seventh night in hospital after being admitted last Sunday, 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.

Downing Street has said the prime minister is making “very good progress” in his recovery after being moved out of intensive care, and had been playing games and watching films from his hospital bed.

Fears had grown for Mr. Johnson’s health when he was transferred to intensive care on Monday after his condition worsened.

The 55-year-old spent three nights there before Downing Street confirmed he was in the “early phase of his recovery” and had been moved back to a normal hospital ward.

Mr. Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant with their first child together, sent him letters and baby scans to lift his spirits during his time in intensive care.

The couple have not seen each other since he was admitted to hospital.

Ms. Symonds, who is due to give birth in two months, has also been ill with coronavirus symptoms in recent weeks, but she has not been tested for the virus.

Since coming out of intensive care, the prime minister has been able to take short walks between periods of rest while being treated on a low-dependency ward.

Today's Vocabulary

1. exemplary (adj.)
very good and
suitable to be copied by other people

2. ward (n)
one of the
parts or large rooms into which a hospital is divided, usually with beds for patients

3. symptoms (n)
any
feeling of illness or physical or mental change that is caused by a particular disease

4. spirits (n)
a
mood

5. treatment (n)
the use of
drugs, exercises, etc. to cure a person of an illness or injury

6. owe (v)
to be
grateful to someone or something because of what the person or thing provided or made possible

7. praised (v)
to
express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing

QUESTIONS
  1. How old is the war veteran?

  2. What has the 99-year-old been hailed as?

  3. How many times did Mr. Moore walk around his garden?

  4. How much did Mr. Moore initially want to raise?

  5. Who called Mr. Moore a “one-man fundraising machine”?
DISCUSSION
  1. Should we all follow Tom Moore’s example?

  2. What could you do to raise money?

  3. How should the UK government recognize Captain Moore’s efforts?

  4. What do you think about what you read?

  5. What should the $25 million be spent on?