Image by Adam Derewecki from Pixabay

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United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, a week after he was admitted for coronavirus infection, and immediately thanked the National Health Service of England for saving his life, in a video post.

The prime minister, who spent several nights under intensive care, said he was very grateful to the health-care workers who kept him alive, stressing "it might have gone either way."

Johnson's discharge from ICU was a welcome relief to a country whose political leadership was struck hard by the pandemic than any other Western nation.

He will be convalescing at Chequers, the country house of the prime minister for some time, the government said in a statement. But he will be able to sign off on big decisions early, including when to ease the UK's lockdown.

According to his spokesman, Johnson received "normal oxygen treatment" but the prime minister did not require mechanical or intrusive ventilation. The spokesperson added the PM would not return to work immediately following his medical team's advice.

In his video message, Johnson personally named some of the health-care staff who took care of him, including two nurses - one from New Zealand and one from Portugal - who stayed by his bedside for 48 hours. "I left hospital today after a week in which the NHS saved my life, no doubt," Johnson said in the video.

He praised a list of doctors and nurses who had looked after him, and gave extra gratitude to Jenny and Luis, saying their care and interventions were the reason "my body did start to get enough oxygen".

Johnson's release from intensive care comes when the death figures from the pandemic in the UK has exceeded 10,600, based on monitoring by Johns Hopkins University.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a senior science advisor to the nation, said the UK is likely to be among the "worst, if not the worst," infected nations in Europe. While Johnson praised the NHS medical personnel, some healthcare workers complain the government has failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock sparked criticisms on Friday when he said that only the equipment they urgently need should be used and that PPEs should be regarded as "precious resource."

Meanwhile, according to a report by the Department of Health and Social Care, the degree with which Covid-19 hit the Prime Minister shook Britain, where the disease has claimed the lives of 10,612, so far. About 84,000 people tested positive for the virus.

TagsUK Prime Minister, johnson, Discharged From Hospital, Tests Negative, Give Thanks To Medical Staff, Saving His Life