This will be controversial but here goes....

It could be that BJ MAY have been placed in ICU whilst in a condition that for most people would not have been adjudged it to be necessary. The clue for me was in a statement that said it was a precautionary measure so he would be near a ventilator if it became necessary.

Now I know in an ideal world we are deemed equal but in times of War and critical situations some are deemed more equal than others. In a case where finite resources exist (and that is a different argument I don't want to get into here) but difficult choices must be made.
It is vitally important that BJ is given the best possible chance of surviving the infection, in spite of what a handful on here think privately, if only for the sake of morale and providing continuity of leadership as the PM and leader of the government heading the response to the emergency situation. That is not to say every life is not valuable, but as in war, key personnel always take precedence over 'Joe Bloggs' ( and, yes that includes me) if push comes to shove.
Whilst the outcome is essentially the same... taking someone very old and critically ill off a ventilator to give to BJ seems far worse from a publicity media perspective than if they were not actually on it in the first instance. (Some papers would have an absolute field day)
Again, I don't want to be drawn into the whys and wherefores of why such shortages exist but is inevitable, even in normal times and even if the NHS had all the resources it could ask for that clinicians regrettably often have to make life and death decision as to who will receive treatment/certain medicines and who will not albeit usually based on who is most likely to benefit and individual circumstance.

 

I think it more to cushion the seriousness personally. IDS on the news basically said he hadn't been working and he had been resting during the illness when he was at home.

 

Why controversial? Standard practise for any PM, President, Monarch I'd have thought.

 

After reading tweets from a US New York based MD, the main issues seems to revolve around the body absorbing oxygen. Once a patient gets pneumonia the virus seems to take over and the requirement for a ventilator is urgent.
The MD stated that the virus mirrors the same symptoms of high altitude sickness, not a stereotypical acute respiratory illness.
If reports are accurate he's not got pneumonia and he's awake then fingers crossed he'll fight this evil thing.

 

I read a article this morning from a doctor who stated that beds in ICU weren’t given out for the sake of it irrespective of status, he was there for a genuine reason as they had concerns about his health