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News for 'Shielders'

androgynous

The Environment Secretary told LBC vulnerable people may have to shield for " several more months" as he conceded that the government " don't have the answer yet". I think that is stating the obvious?

https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrari/vulnerable-people-may-have-to-isolate-for-several/

No surprises there, then?

He told Nick he recognised this is not good for the emotional health of shielding people which is why the government "wants to identify ways to make life easier for them so they can start to see friends and families again."

I think theres a lack of understanding towards people who are shielding and why they are shielding. Now other people are returning to normal, ( which they shouldn't be,) they don't understand how this virus is going to affect some people if they catch it and how it is affecting their mental health especially people who have little contact with others.

Feel free to chat.

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Comments

Ails

Thanks for sharing this information @androgynous.

chiarieds

Hi @androgynous - I think it's especially difficult for people with mental health problems just now, & the mental health of those who are shielding. But shielding is so very important, & there for a reason. I couldn't agree with you more.

I haven't been beyond my garden, not because I'm shielding, but because my son works in a small food retail shop. Yesterday he served over 200 customers, so feels that he needs to protect me from the contact he's had. I previously relied on him to take me in his car 1 mile up the road to our local town as I have poor mobility; that's obviously not happening now.

As my local town is a popular tourist destination it's difficult. Until this weekend it's been quiet. This weekend my neighbour says the town has been 'heaving.' A car park by the river was closed, so people just parked in the town, & walked down to the river.

I don't feel people should be allowed to travel too far; it seems like Scotland has a better approach in limiting how far people can go. As my neighbour says, if there are further outbreaks of Covid-19, our town will be hit, putting everyone at risk. This easing of restrictions should not have been done anywhere whilst people were still shielding.

alieshia

Shielded people are allowed to go outside briefly now or if they live alone meet one other person outside 2m away. (England)

Adrian_Scope

I think if others were more keenly abiding by the social distancing rules, I'd perhaps feel more secure about going out, but that seems to have completely gone out of the window round my way so I don't see us changing our plans any time soon.

androgynous

Hi to everyone.

I wrote a very long reply and lost it and i don't have the energy to write it again, but here is the update from PHE on the Gov.UK website:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

I believe they are going to streamline the Shielding list by taking some people off the list, and are reviewing the situation around the 15th June. This is now they know more about the virus than they did in the beginning.

androgynous

Cressida said:

@androgynous thanks for the link. It's very useful. BW.

You're welcome. Stay safe.

Just bear in mind this was 'leaked' on Saturday night and there seems to have been no consultation with primary care teams and in fact, NHS England guidance to GPs updated on Friday, made no mention of lifting the lockdown on shielded people and repeated the long-term position “to shield themselves and stay at home”. The Government themselves said Shielding would remain in place for some time to come.

Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, a deputy chief medical officer for England, said at the Downing Street press conference on Saturday that the UK was at a “very dangerous moment” with coronavirus infections poised to rebound “like a coiled spring … if we don’t stay on top of it”. The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimated that the R number was 0.7-0.9 on Friday. If the number is above 1, it means the epidemic is growing again.

The epidemic is growing in my area and currently above R1.

I would follow Van-Tam in terms of advice.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/31/experts-decry-easing-of-coronavirus-lockdown-for-englands-shielders

Do what is best for you, take care and stay safe. Remember, we are the ones who are going to take a holiday in ICU, not on the beach.

androgynous

Shielding has just been extended until the 16th August for people in Wales only, at the moment. Others should follow?

The Welsh Government also continues to work with supermarket retailers in Wales which offer online shopping and home delivery to make sure priority slots are available for people who are shielding.

The rules for this group are expected to be reviewed again in the summer.

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2020-06-04/shielding-to-continue-until-16-august-for-people-in-wales/

Chloe_Alumni

Some great info. At the moment there seems to be loads of people who are not following the guidelines, it just makes me not want to go outside!

androgynous

Chloe_Scope said:

Some great info. At the moment there seems to be loads of people who are not following the guidelines, it just makes me not want to go outside!

I agree. People seem to have forgotten there's a pandemic and are seemingly returning to normal? My own family are now returning to normal and it's caused a rift between us as i continue shielding. People just don't get that even if they are not 'vulnerable' their actions can ultimately cause the the virus to spread multiple times after one person is infected. I still believe that is now the governments plan but maybe i've become too accustomed to my own little bubble now? I've not shielded for this long to not continue. I think it's a particularly dangerous phase. Only time will tell.

There's some interesting research coming out now to suggest Coronavirus may also be a Blood Vessel Disease. Interesting reading. It explains why young people could have been dying of strokes and heart attacks and there have been inflammatory symptons in children.

https://elemental.medium.com/coronavirus-may-be-a-blood-vessel-disease-which-explains-everything-2c4032481ab2

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/blood-vessel-attack-could-trigger-coronavirus-fatal-second-phase

gillian72

Hi all ? Well last nights cv update was ,well a bloody yo yo no wonder my head feels like that advert when that girl eating that blueberry bar her head exploded, lol last nite they got asked why on the 15 th june r u telling us to wear a mask on public transport etc.blahh blahh stuttering on his answer he said because more kids an ppl an all shops will be open on 15 th an need to try to keep the spread of virus from over running the nhs again **** well why have we been on lockdown for if its still out there they would of saved plls business being lost an saved millions by tell us straight up an tell us to wear masks from day one I mean is it just me on a anxiety hypeo atm or what?? Because to me it's no different an contagious from day one we were told about it because the way I see it it's even worse now an how is anyone meant to send there kids to school etc etc I might have misunderstood what his reply was an spent over a hour typing this message but I see it more scary now about cv then I was at lockdown it makes no sense to me wear a mask to reduce the spread again because they have let ppl get back to normal day living I just don't get it maybe until 15 th they hope pll have sucked enough cv in there lungs to lessen the spread again ??? it didn't change a thing being lockup ?? lol delete this post after If no one understands where I'm coming from ??

androgynous

Updated advice for Shielders in England.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53071430

We can't stay in forever. The virus is still out there.

I am going to try and enjoy some fresh summer air in uncrowded places if i can find them. I'm going to stay away from shops, supermarkets, town centres, and crowded places.

Essentially Shielding has been 'paused' from the 1st August, but I think the virus will be back again in force this winter.

My new life will now be very different from the new normal of my friends and family I had going in to this. They don't understand my new normal. It's been a very long four months on my own and now I have to make a life for myself which excludes everything i've lost. No hugs from those people I loved, In fact i've had no physical contact from anyone in four months and very little verbal support. I've learnt who you can rely on and it's ugly. Somehow I have to start again and build a new life on my own in this covid world.

Take care and stay safe with whatever you all decide, but ultimately you have to put yourself and your own health first?

androgynous