The NHS is today expected to treat its 10,000th vulnerable patient with groundbreaking new Covid drugs just a month after they were approved.
Healthcare bosses say antibody treatments are already a key weapon in protecting those at most risk as the virus sweeps through the UK.
More than a million patients who have received organ transplants, have certain types of cancer and who have Down's Syndrome are among those eligible for the cutting-edge antibody drugs.
Many with weakened immune systems do not have the same level of protection from vaccines - meaning effective treatment is crucial.
As soon as those at highest risk are found to have Covid they are treated before their condition can worsen.
A teenage TikTok influencer who suffers from Crohn's Disease was among the first NHS patients to be given Sotrovimab after testing positive for Covid-19.
Katie Rixon-Waller, 19, said she had been scared of contracting the virus throughout the pandemic but was rushed to hospital for immediate treatment when she tested positive just before Christmas.
Sotrovimab, which was approved last month, is given intravenously and trials show it reduces the risk of hospitalisation and death by 79% in high-risk patients.
Katie, who has more than 50,000 followers, was taken to St George's University Hospital in London after testing positive.
After her treatment, she said: “The fact that I was able to receive an extra layer of protection of something that I was so scared of, was extremely reassuring.”
Early trial data suggests the drug is effective against the Omicron variant, according to the manufacturer GSK.
Saxophone player Andy Williamson, who has had two kidney transplants and is on a course of immunosuppressive medication, believes he caught Covid at his first gig since the start of the pandemic last month.
The 54-year-old from Devon told The Mirror he feared the most vulnerable weren't being considered as restrictions were eased - but treatments are a key level of protection.
He said: "It's definitely a relief to know that these treatments seem to work and they give us the chance to have the same risks as everybody else.
"People who are immunocompromised will say it's fine for everyone else to stop wearing masks, but it doesn't help if you're still vulnerable.
"If people aren't going to do these things then it puts us back into being second class citizens. But having drugs that will treat us available on the NHS is very positive."
Andy tested positive in December after performing at a Christmas party for a local company - and was later told he had the Delta variant.
"It was a blow having spent two years trying to avoid it," he said.
But he contacted his treatment team and was quickly referred to his local hospital in Exeter for antibody treatment before the cold-like symptoms he was experiencing could worsen.
"I'm really, really relieved that the new treatments are there and they seem to be good," he said.
Around 1.3 million people across the UK are eligible for Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment, while some may alternatively receive an oral antiviral pill called molnupiravir.
The treatments are administered by 90 new specialist Covid Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU) clinics set up around the UK.
They were launched at the same time as the booster programme was ramped up by the NHS.
The NHS says the vaccination programme is the UK's first line of defence against Covid - but for the most vulnerable, the new drugs will shield them from serious illness.
Those eligible for monoclonal antibodies and antivirals have been informed that the treatments are available, with most sent a PCR testing kit to keep at home.
This means they can get tested and get treatment as fast as possible if they develop symptoms.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “It’s fantastic that since launching last month, 10,000 of our most vulnerable patients have already had access to our latest cutting-edge, life-saving treatments.
“The treatments are another weapon in our arsenal to reduce fatalities amongst patients at highest risk of becoming seriously ill from covid-19 and needing hospitalisation – each and every person treated with these new drugs is testament to how the NHS is doing everything possible to protect the most vulnerable from this virus.
“Getting vaccinated is still the best way to protect you and your loved ones from Covid, and to date, our world-leading vaccination programme has delivered over 114 million doses - including more than 30 million boosters - I would urge anyone who hasn’t yet been jabbed to come forward for your first, second or booster jab as soon as possible.”
Find out more about the NHS’s COVID treatments here: Treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
