Influencer Katie Rixon-Walker thanks Tooting Hospital staff for saving her from potential killer covid

A Tik-Tok influencer with a bowel disease which makes infections doubly hard has thanked St George’s for giving her a new life-saving Covid treatment.

Katie Rixon-Waller, 19, was among the first patients in the UK to receive the new antiviral Covid treatment, Sotrovimab, when St George’s began offering the treatment in December.

The treatment is an antibody infusion patients can get if they test positive for Covid-19 and are immunosuppressed – so more likely to be taken seriously ill with the virus.

Since being approved for use in December, the NHS has now helped over 10,000 patients with these new antibody Covid treatments.

Katie, who has Crohn’s disease, said: “I received a phone call explaining I was eligible for the Covid-19 anti-viral treatment and a few hours later, I was on my way to St George’s.

“Everything was explained thoroughly to me, both on the telephone and while at the treatment centre.

“The fact that I was able to receive an extra layer of protection for something that I was so scared of, was extremely reassuring.

“I was nervous about going into the treatment centre as I was currently positive with Covid-19, but the team reassured my worries and ensured that I was comfortable for the entirety of my stay.

I suffer with a lot of anxiety revolving around my health and Covid-19 and so I was extremely grateful for this treatment.

“I would like to say thank you to the team I met on the day for being so kind and caring towards me from beginning to end! You’re all incredible at your job and you’re all so admirable.

I would also like to thank the NHS and staff as a whole for all your hard work throughout the pandemic. We would be lost without you.”

Katie received the antiviral treatment at St George’s new Covid Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU) which currently runs a referral only system, so each patient must be referred by their GP.

As well as Sotrovimab, the unit also offers Molnupiravir, an anti-viral Covid-19 pill, that is posted out to eligible Covid-19 positive patients referred to the service.

Dr Richard Jennings, Chief Medical Officer at St George’s, said: “It’s fantastic that we are able to offer our most vulnerable patients such treatments to prevent them from getting severely unwell from Covid-19.

“The best way you can protect yourself from Covid-19 is by getting vaccinated. It’s never too late to start your vaccine journey if you haven’t already.”

Appointments are available to book your first, second or booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at St George’s vaccine clinic using the NHS National Booking System.