Boris Johnson has told the public he is as fit as a butcher’s dog and has no coronavirus symptoms after being forced into self-isolation.
The Prime Minister claimed that a vaccine could even be distributed to the public before Christmas, in a video message from Downing Street.
It comes after he held a meeting with Conservative MPs last week, including Ashfield’s Lee Anderson, who later tested positive for Covid-19. The pair were pictured inside Downing Street, with neither wearing a face mask.
Mr Johnson, who nearly died during the first wave when he was in intensive care with the virus, said his body is ‘bursting with antibodies’, adding that the setback would not stop him working.
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Posting on Twitter on Monday morning, Mr Johnson said in an optimistic video message: ‘We have 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 when you get contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
‘And I do it with a high heart, full of optimism and confidence because don’t forget we not only have this technique for interrupting the transmission of Covid but we also now have two gigantic boxing gloves with which to wallow our foe into submission.’
He named the two as mass quick turnaround testing and the prospect of a vaccine, which he said he hoped to start distributing to ‘those who really need it’ ‘perhaps even before Christmas’.
It comes after Pfizer announced a breakthrough in its vaccine candidate, which it claims is 90% effective.
The PM also sent a similar message to MPs last night, reports say.
According to the BBC’s Nick Eardley, Mr Johnson wrote:
‘It doesn’t matter that we were all following the guidance and socially distancing – see the Facebook photo.
‘It doesn’t matter that I feel fine – better than ever – or that my body is bursting with antibodies because I have already had the damn thing.
‘The rules are the rules and they are there to stop the spread of the disease.’
Mr Johnson also promised that self isolation would not slow him down or ‘in any way impede my work in the next few days’.
In April, the PM was moved to intensive care in St Thomas’ Hospital in London, where he credits medics with saving his life.
Various other world leaders have also had the virus or been forced to isolate with it.
Last month, Donald Trump contracted Covid-19 and alarmed medics by flagrantly breaking self-isolation rules.
The outgoing US President potentially exposed various people inside an armoured car with him when he decided to wave to his supporters during a drive-by.
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