U.K. nerve agent victim regains consciousness after Novichok poisoning

LONDON – Hospital officials say they’ve seen an improvement in a man poisoned in a nerve agent attack in southwestern England.

Salisbury Hospital says Tuesday that Charlie Rowley has experienced a “small but significant improvement” and is now conscious. The 45-year old is in critical but stable condition.

READ MORE: U.K. nerve agent victims handled Novichok container, subjected to a ‘high dose,’ police say

The hospital says in a statement that “while this is welcome news, clearly we are not out of the woods yet. Charlie is still very unwell.”

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Rowley’s partner, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, died after being exposed to Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent produced in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Police have said the working theory is that their exposure was linked to the earlier Novichok attack in March on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the city of Salisbury.

WATCH: Russian parliament deputy says Russia should not explain ‘death of drug addicts and alcoholics’ after Novichok death

0:23 Russian parliament deputy says Russia should not explain ‘death of drug addicts and alcoholics’ after Novichok death