Leaders Around the World Affected by COVID-19

As a global quarantine continues following the events of the COVID-19 outbreak, people have had many reminders of how this virus impacts all of us, not just some, including the virus affecting relatives, school cancellations for the foreseeable future, and having to either wear masks at work or work being cancelled altogether.

A way the virus has impacted the lives of UK residents is the infection of British royal family members and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Following the news on Mar. 27 that the Prime Minister had fallen ill and was showing similar symptoms to that of COVID-19, the world was taken aback by the fact that one of the most powerful leaders caught the virus.

As of Apr. 10, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has begun his steady recovery from the virus. He has left the ICU and has been relocated to a ward at St. Thomas Hospital in London.

While Boris Johnson may have been one of the first political officials to officially contract COVID-19, he is not the last. Multiple reports came in across the globe regarding the health of multiple countries’ leaders during the weeks following Prime Minister Johnson’s contraction. These officials include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie, Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, UK Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dorries, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi. A few US officials, including Senator Rand Paul and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, have also tested positive for the disease.

Hopefully, powerful world leaders such as these getting sick at this time will aid in bringing all people around the globe to see just how dangerous and widespread this virus has become as of now. Leaders similar to the ones mentioned have been using their platforms to lead people to take the virus and the quarantine put in place seriously.