Covid-19 survivor UK PM Johnson self-isolating again after meeting with infected MP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in isolation after coming into contact with an MP  infected with Covid-19, a Downing Street spokesperson said on Sunday evening.

He is taking this course of action even though he has had Covid-19 himself and spent time recovering in hospital.

Johnson said on Twitter on Monday morning that he is in good health and has no symptoms.

He posted a video in which he added that “the good news is that our National Health Service Test and Tracing app is working efficiently. The bad news is that they pinged me. It doesn’t matter that I feel great and that I’ve had the disease so am bursting with antibodies, I still need to self-isolate.”

Johnson had met with a small group of MPs for about half an hour last Thursday, including one who subsequently developed coronavirus symptoms and tested positive.

“We’ve got to interrupt the spread of the disease and one of the ways we can do that now is by self-isolating for 14 days and I do it with a high heart, full of optimism and confidence,” the prime minister said.

Officials said they will discuss with parliamentary authorities how Johnson can take part remotely in Parliament’s business. “He plans to continue speaking to the country during his self-isolation period,” they added.

In April, Johnson was hospitalised in intensive care for three nights after contracting Covid-19. After he was discharged, he thanked health workers for saving his life and said for 48 hours during his hospital stay “things could have gone either way”.

His partner, Carrie Symonds, who was pregnant at the time, also experienced symptoms and had to self-isolate.

The prime minister later said he wanted to build up his fitness, and in the summer he launched a national campaign to tackle obesity after acknowledging that he was “too fat” when he fell ill.