Carrie Johnson reveals health battle after being hospitalised for a week with flu and pneumonia

11 January 2025, 14:28 | Updated: 11 January 2025, 14:29

Carrie Johnson has revealed she was hospitalised for a week with flu and pneumonia.

Ms Johnson said she spent the first week of 2025 in hospital after suffering with a "nasty" chest infection over Christmas.

She said she was "struggling to breathe properly", with the hospital confirming it was flu and pneumonia.

It comes as the NHS has seen a surge in flu cases this winter, with several hospitals declaring critical incidents.

Sharing her health update on Instagram, Ms Johnson said: "I was there nearly a week and I’m still not recovered. It could take another few weeks until I feel like myself again."

Read more: NHS experiencing 'pandemic-level' pressure as flu cases soar - with cold snap to make things worse as temperatures drop

Read more: Health Secretary 'distressed and ashamed’ for patients as six hospitals declare critical incidents amid winter flu virus

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A post shared by Carrie Johnson (@carrielbjohnson)

She went on to thank the staff who helped during her recovery, saying: "NHS doctors and nurses are the best people on earth.

"I say it a lot but they have looked after me and my family when we’ve needed it most and I will never not be enormously grateful. They are the absolute best of us.

"I was at the John Radcliffe and I cannot thank them enough. When I was particularly low, one nurse even serenaded me by my bed. Unbelievable kindness."

Ms Johnson also reminded people to get their flu jabs.

"It totally slipped my mind this year," she said. "No guarantee, but I very possibly wouldn’t have spent the last 3 weeks horribly, horribly ill had I got it."

She shared a picture of her son Wilf’s favourite dinosaur toy and one of her daughter Romy’s princess key ring, which they gave to her to take to hospital.

"Health and family are everything," she said.