A 21-year-old nursery worker from West Sussex has died after being taken off the organ transplant list when she tested positive for coronavirus in hospital.
Katie Horne, from Burgess Hill, was admitted to Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath around four weeks ago with a severe liver condition. She was later transferred to King's College Hospital in London, where she tested positive for COVID-19, according to her sister Emma.
Ms Horne was subsequently unable to remain on the transplant list and battled both her liver condition and coronavirus for 12 days. She was not on a ventilator during her stay.
Since March 31, the NHS has halted organ transplants from infected donors to minimise risk, as recipients are immunosuppressed and vulnerable to infection. All donors are now tested for the virus.
Ms Horne's family said they are 'completely devastated' by her death on Saturday. Her sister Emma urged people to take the pandemic seriously, calling it a 'wake-up call'. Her boyfriend Jamie Carter wrote on Facebook: 'It's with great sadness that we have to inform all of Kate's friends that she sadly passed away... contributing to her death is this devastating coronavirus.'
The case highlights the plight of hundreds of gravely ill Britons waiting for organ transplants, as hospitals suspend procedures to free up beds for COVID-19 patients, with operations dropping from around 80 a week to fewer than ten.
