Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Coronavirus: Identical twin sisters die within days of each other

‘They always said they had come into the world together and would go out together as well’

Peter Stubley
Friday 24 April 2020 20:18 EDT
Comments
Katy and Emma Davis, 37, both had an underlying health condition
Katy and Emma Davis, 37, both had an underlying health condition (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Identical twin sisters who had worked as nurses at the same hospital died within days of each other after testing positive for coronavirus.

Katy and Emma Davis, 37, both suffered from underlying health conditions and had been unwell for some time before contracting Covid-19.

Tributes were paid to the pair after Katy died at Southampton General Hospital on Tuesday and Emma died early on Friday morning.

Their sister Zoe Davis told the BBC: “They always said they had come into the world together and would go out together as well.

“There are no words to describe how special they were.”

Katy worked as risk and patient safety lead in child health at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), while Emma was a nurse in the colorectal unit for nine years until 2013.

Paula Head, chief executive at UHS, said: “I want to pay tribute to Katy who sadly passed away on Tuesday.

“Katy has been described by her colleagues where she worked in child health as a nurse people would aspire to be like and that nursing was more than just a job to her.

UHS said that Emma had the same underlying health condition as Katy and had been unwell prior to her admission when she tested positive for Covid-19.

“She sadly also passed away last night and it goes without saying just how devastating and tragic this is for the family and all who knew them,” a spokesperson said.​

They added: “Emma has been described as an excellent nurse who was calm and cheerful and a good leader.

“She was well liked by all and was a valuable member of the team during her time with us.

“We are supporting Katy and Emma’s family as much as we can through this difficult and distressing period.”

At least 90 front line NHS workers, including around 50 nurses, are believed to have died during the coronavirus outbreak.

Additional reporting by Press Association

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in