Pregnant Carrie Symonds is in self-isolation after the PM tested positive for coronaviruis

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Boris Johnson’s pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds is in self-isolation with Dylan the dog at couple’s £1.3m London home after the PM tests positive for coronavirus

By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Boris Johnson’s pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds in is self-isolation with their dog Dylan today after the Prime Minister tested positive for coronavirus.

Ms Symonds, 32, who is believed to be six months pregnant with the baby due in the early summer, was last seen in Downing Street over the weekend and is likely to have left to protect herself.

She now faces an anxious wait to see if she has been exposed to coronavirus, with pregnant women are more likely to catch an infection than women who are not pregnant.  

The Prime Minister’s  official spokesman refused to comment of her whereabouts, health or whether she has been tested.  

But Telegraph commentator Camilla Tominey told ITV’s This Morning: ‘She’s in Camberwell with Dylan the dog so she will not have any contact with the prime minister over the last few days’. 

Pregnant Carrie Symonds is in self-isolation after her fiance Boris Johnson fell ill with coronavirus (pictured together on March 9 at Westminster Abbey)

The Prime Minister was tested in Number 10 after experiencing mild symptoms on Thursday night, with result coming in at midnight.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: ‘After experiencing mild symptoms yesterday, the Prime Minister was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty.

Are pregnant women more vulnerable to coronavirus? 

There is no evidence that pregnant women become more severely unwell if they develop coronavirus than the general population.

It is expected the large majority of pregnant women will experience only mild or moderate symptoms because more severe symptoms such as pneumonia appear to be more common in older people, those with weakened immune systems or long-term conditions. 

There are no reported deaths of pregnant women from coronavirus at the moment.

If you are pregnant you are more vulnerable to getting infections than a woman who is not pregnant, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. 

If you have an underlying condition, such as asthma or diabetes, you may be more unwell if you have coronavirus because is poses a higher risk to those with underlying health conditions.

In terms of risk to the baby, there is no evidence right now to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage or transmission to the unborn baby via the womb or breast milk.  

Some babies born to women with symptoms of coronavirus in China have been born prematurely. It is unclear whether coronavirus caused this or the doctors made the decision for the baby to be born early because the woman was unwell.

‘The test was carried out in No 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive.

‘In keeping with the guidance, the Prime Minister is self-isolating in Downing Street.

‘He is continuing to lead the government’s response to coronavirus.’

Mr Johnson, 55, posted a video on Twitter to say that people should ‘be in no doubt that I can continue thanks to the wizardry of modern technology to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus’.

The PM announced measures to protect pregnant women earlier this month. Among his recommendations were for particularly vulnerable people to stay indoors for 12 weeks.

The ‘period of shielding’ has been implemented at a time where there will be maximum protection, coinciding with the peak of the disease. 

He said: ‘In a few days time, by this coming weekend it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks. 

‘Again, the reason for doing this in the next few days rather than earlier or later is that this is going to be very disruptive for people who have such conditions.

‘This advice about avoiding all social contact is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions.’   

England’s chief medical doctor Professor Chris Whitty said extending the advice to pregnant women was a precaution.

He said: ‘The group of people who we would want to take this advice particularly seriously are older people above 70, people who in adult life would normally be advised to have the flu vaccination, so these are people with chronic diseases such as chronic heart disease or chronic kidney disease, and also – as a precautionary measure because we are early in our understanding and we want to be sure – women who are pregnant.

‘Those are the groups we want to take particular care to minimise their social contact which of course will have very significant risks for them.’