One of UK's oldest twins dies of Covid days before vaccine letter arrives

One of Britain’s oldest twins has died of Covid-19 after she and her sister caught the virus at the beginning of January.

Doris Hobday, 96, died on 5 January, just days after testing positive for the Sars-CoV-2 virus, and just two days before a letter arrived at her home in Tipton, West Midlands, inviting her for her first dose of coronavirus vaccine.

Her sister, Lil Cox, spent two weeks in hospital on oxygen, antibiotics and steroids, but survived, their family said.

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“They were both still going strong before this virus got them and both were determined to live until 100, they had so much to look forward to,” their family said. “It’s just so cruel that Covid has stopped Doris like this.”

News of Hobday’s death was broken on Wednesday morning by Good Morning Britain, a programme on which Cox and Hobday had appeared twice. In a tribute posted to Facebook, their family said that she and her sister’s health had deteriorated fast after their Covid diagnoses.

They said: “We are devastated to announce that Doris didn’t make it ... she passed away on Tuesday 5 January after a short stay in hospital … On the same day Lil was also rushed into hospital and had the fight of her life for two weeks on a mixture of oxygen, steroids, vitamins and antibiotics to keep her alive.

“Lil has fought so hard and I’m pleased to inform everyone that she was discharged from hospital on Monday, she was only told then of Doris’s death once she was strong enough to take the news. She is now being comforted by family and staying with her daughter Vivien while she fully regains her strength.”

Hobday is to be buried next to her husband, Ray, who died 11 years ago.

Her family urged people to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously. “Doris was only a few weeks away from being safe! With her vaccine letter arriving two days after her death ... if you are offered the vaccine please take it, do not refuse it ... Doris didn’t get this choice!”