Boris Johnson is in intensive care after his COVID-19 symptoms worsened. Here's what research shows so far about outcomes in the most severe coronavirus cases.

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• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to an intensive care unit after his coronavirus symptoms worsened on Monday.
• Johnson's spokesman said he was admitted to the hospital on Sunday for "persistent coronavirus symptoms."
• Research that has tracked clinical outcomes for ICU patients doesn't yet give a complete picture of outcomes for the most severe coronavirus cases. 
• But in the short term, studies show that most coronavirus patients that enter the ICU do not get discharged from the hospital within the first few weeks.
• One study found that 15% of people admitted to the ICU in the UK for COVID-19 died. 
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved into an intensive-care unit after his condition deteriorated on Monday. Johnson was admitted to the hospital on Sunday for "persistent coronavirus symptoms," then put in intensive care at around 7 p.m. local time on Monday evening, his spokesman said. 

While 80% of COVID-19 cases are considered mild (meaning patients do not require hospitalization), severe cases can involve pneumonialike symptoms and respiratory failure. In an intensive care unit (ICU), some patients are placed on a ventilator that enables them to breathe. Johnson's spokesman said the 55-year-old prime minister is not on a ventilator, and said claims suggesting he was were "disinformation."

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See Also:

• One chart shows New York City's coronavirus cases, deaths, and hospitalizations by age bracket as the city approaches 65,000 cases
• 'Between 25% and 50%' of people who get the coronavirus may show no symptoms but still be contagious, Anthony Fauci said. Here's the latest research on asymptomatic carriers.
• The CDC released a guide on how to make a face mask without sewing skills. Materials include a bandana, a coffee filter, and hair ties.

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