Covid-19 coronavirus: Heroic Kiwi nurse Jenny shares hospital ordeal of caring for British PM Boris Johnson

Nurse Jenny McGee was singled out by British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson for helping to save his life when he was hospitalised with Covid-19. Photo / Supplied

The Kiwi nurse credited by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for saving his life has shared what it was like at his bedside - and has thanked New Zealanders and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for their messages.

Invercargill-born Jenny McGee was singled out by Johnson as one of the nurses integral to his recovery from Covid-19 - after he spent three nights in intensive care, where he was given oxygen but was not on a ventilator.

He's now recovering at his Chequers country residence.

The 35-year-old McGee - nicknamed Nurse Jenny since she rose to fame - was visiting family back home in New Zealand in February, but told TVNZ that she felt such a sense of duty that she returned to London as the coronavirus pandemic escalated overseas.

"It was totally out of the blue," she said of Johnson's public message of praise.

McGee kept vigil at the Johnson's bedside for two days as he lay in intensive care.

"We were constantly observing, we're constantly monitoring," she told TVNZ.

When asked if she was nervous to be tending to the PM, McGee said she'd been working in intensive care for ten years and "was not fazed".

Nurse Jenny McGee was singled out by British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson for helping to save his life when he was hospitalised with Covid-19. Photo / Supplied

Johnson received no special treatment different to other patients at the NHS, McGee said.

The 55-year-old spent a week at St Thomas' hospital, three of those nights in an intensive care unit.

McGee said the PM was interested to know about her hometown - Invercargill - and they spoke about New Zealand.

The toughest part of that time was the speculation about Johnson's health, she said.

"There was a lot of media interest in him being in hospital, and to be honest, that's probably the toughest thing of the lot."

It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life.

The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/HK7Ch8BMB5

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 12, 2020

Ardern, who messaged the nurse following Johnson's praise, was "a hero" of McGee, she said.

"She said how proud she was of me and the country was so proud. It's so heartwarming and something I'll never forget."

She even had "a bit of banter with Ardern, she told TVNZ. "I responded and she messaged back immediately. Again, surreal, a couple of emojis".

But her newfound fame has led to some teasing from her NHS colleagues.

"I'm getting a lot of stick from my workmates, I'm loving it," she said.

"There are kids telling me they want to be a nurse, there are families saying how proud they are and it means so much right now. People will never know how much it means."

"But thank you."

Jenny's brother Rob McGee told the Herald she'd made her family proud.

"We are all very proud of Jen, not just in the support she gave Boris - but what she has been doing helping everyday people," he said.

"She just saw it as another day and kept just saying she is just doing her job.

"Whilst she is blown away by Boris' recognition, she is just really pleased to see the public recognition for the amazing work the NHS is doing - that made her really proud."

Boris Johnson thanked Kiwi nurse Jenny McGee for saving his life. Photo / Supplied

Father Mike said she didn't crave the publicity that came with her hard work.

She said 'Dad I was just doing my job, I was nursing him just like I was nursing any patient who came through the door'."

"When you're an intensive care nurse you are nursing one on one with the patient. You are right there all the time, tending to their every need basically, monitoring all the machines," Mike McGee said.

"These people she is dealing with every day are seriously, seriously ill. And it's her job to try and get them well again and get them out of the hospital."

Raised in Edendale, Southland McGee rose up through the ranks to become Senior Sister after a some years at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and St Thomas'.

Although some New Zealanders have been forced to return home because of stricter visa conditions in the UK, her hospital vouched for her and helped her stay in the country.

As the pandemic spread to the UK, it because clear she would be on the frontline.

"There was a worry about how she would protect herself," Mike said. "And she said 'Look, I'll be ok, it's more you oldies back home, make sure you look after yourself'.

"Jenny just seems to have that knack of being able to keep everybody calm and support them and let them know the medical people are doing the very best they can for their loved one."

The United Kingdom now has more than 133,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and recorded at least 18,100 deaths.

In New Zealand, two more people have died from the coronavirus, with the national total now at 16.

A 62-year-old Invercargill woman died overnight in Dunedin Hospital, where she had been fighting for her life for the past two weeks.

She is now the second person from Invercargill to die of Covid-19, following the death Alister Peter Brookland, in his 70s, known as Barney, in his Kingswell home on April 14.

The second new death announced today was a man in his 70s from Christchurch's Rosewood Rest Home.

He initially tested negative for the disease but was a probable case and included in the mortality statistics.

Nine deaths are now linked to the Rosewood rest home cluster.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website