Anxiety over COVID volunteering

Standing outside for 5 hours in the middle of January is surely not good for anybody, no matter what their age.

I was tempted to volunteer, but have an OH who is clinically severely vulnerable, so decided against it.

There must surely be plenty of younger people who aren't working at the moment who could do these jobs rather than relying on the older generation, no matter how good it feels to us.

When we had our jab and had to sit the 15 minutes afterwards the lady cleaning the chairs, as they were vacated, was in the finest traditions of the Carry On films, jollying everyone along and buzzing about, all masked of course. She took her roll very seriously but was determined to keep spirits up.
I have mentioned this on another thread but do answer phone calls where you don't recognise the number, it is only because we were waiting for another call that we did and we could have easily missed our call for the vaccine.

I haven't read all the posts so apologies if I repeat what others have said. I think it is wonderful your husband is volunteering on behalf of the community but foolhardy to jeopardise your relationship without discussing it with you first. I would be very upset that he made a potentially life changing decision without so much as a "Would you mind?" conversation. I would ask him to reconsider or self isolate whilst he does his stint.
My husband and I have had the conversation, we would have both liked to have helped out but when we looked at the criteria, I was definitely not eligible because of my diabetes and inability to stand for 8 hours. On reflection, my husband decided that if I was vulnerable, probably not something he felt he could do. My son is going to volunteer but he is waiting until he returns to Uni so he doesn't bring anything nasty home. He feels as he has already had COVID, he is in a good place to volunteer. Strangely enough, I feel more stressed about that than I did for my husband and myself.

I think that your husband is doing the wrong thing for the best of motives.

Charitable work is excellent but it's not helping if one or both of you add to the strain on the NHS by getting very ill and needing hospital beds. You are in the vulnerable group. If you get the virus, there is a serious risk that you will end up in hospital, possibly in ICU. You will be adding to the work and using up scarce resources. For example, some hospitals are now having to use the beds in children's ICU for Covid patients. Think what that means. Do you want to contribute to that situation if you can possibly avoid it?

The NHS is breaking under the burden and we, the old, make up most of that burden. It may be that we can't eliminate all risk of infection but we should do everything that we can. Apart from the fact that we don't want to get sick and die, not to mention the fear and grief suffered by our families, it is the best way that we can serve our community.

Younger people at lower risk can volunteer. The best way that the old can help is by doing everything we possibly can to avoid being another desperately ill patient in urgent need of a ventilator. I bet that the nurses and doctors on the Covid wards wish that old people would just stay at home.

As a retired nurse, I thought I should volunteer as a vaccinator but was told they were only taking under 70s.

I noticed quite a few friends offering to volunteer on facebook after an appeal in our village group. I felt a little guilty not responding but they are all significantly younger than me and I have an underlying health condition. Since then I've arranged to volunteer at the local food bank where I think I'll have contact with less people and may simply be delivering parcels in the local area and sorting stock. My town is currently the second highest in the country for covid numbers so I'm being extra careful and glad I didn't volunteer at the vaccine centre but I hope I've found a safer way to help out. Hopefully having something useful to do in my retirement will do me more good than harm but we do need to be aware of the risks to ourselves and those we live with. As I live alone I only need to think of my own safety and do my own risk assessment. If I was living with someone else (at risk or not) I'd have discussed it with them before volunteering.

My husband and several friends are volunteering. They’re stewards working outside . I’m vulnerable, we are 70 and 71. I decided not to do this but I’m pleased one of us iS contributing. He’s had the first injection, volunteers are given any left at the end of the day, plus local key workers, health centre, pharmacists are contacted. I’d like to be doing something and I’m not worried by his involvement . Queues socially distanced, gloves, masks etc and so far, most people arrive saying this is their first trip out of their home since march

as the most sensible replies have said it depends on what he will be doing. it could be directing travel or people and probably less contact than in a supermarket. i have no idea on whether volunteers are to be offered a vaccine or not but it is probably not a factor in deciding on whether or not to volunteer as it may not happen.

No, Joy, I don't think you are being selfish at all. It is best to take care and not risk exposing yourself due to your DH's desire to volunteer, he can pick it up later when it is safe to do so.
I had planned to volunteer at a vaccination centre a few weeks ago, I attended the induction program and completed all 4 on-line courses in order to be deployed. However, as the time approached to start, having discussed it with family and friends, I decided to hold off until I myself am vaccinated.
The volunteering organisation said I might be vaccinated at the end of shift if there were leftover vaccines, but they agreed with me it was best to wait. I am 71, DH 70 with a pre-existing condition, also we care for 2DGC 2 days a week. All in all, I think I made the right decision.
I hope you and your DH can come to an agreement which suits you both.

My local centre have vaccinated their volunteers

I was tempted to volunteer, but decided that I had to consider the health of my son-in-law so decided against it. I think your husband should think again.

A middle aged healthy lady who was a mother, grandmother, was working at our local hospital, standing outside in protective clothing handing out masks. She is no longer with us.
Admirable to want to help people but common sense should prevail.

Some of you are missing the really important fact that without volunteers, the vaccine programme would be much slower and much less efficient - which would inevitably result in more deaths.
One volunteer who died (not at a vaccination centre by the sound of it) who may or may not have caught the virus while she was volunteering proves nothing.
To repeat what many have said already, a vaccination centre is one of the most COVID safe environments there is at present and if people want to volunteer, in that knowledge, we should be applauding them.

Thank you all so much for your responses so far. I decided to show them to my husband so he could get views from all sides and I think we have reached an uneasy truce. I have told him I am happy for him to work outside, eg directing cars, but not indoors. He does not mind this after a lifetime of working outdoors in all weathers and being a serious walker with good wet weather gear. My only reservation now is that his joining instructions say he may be asked to move around doing various duties during his six-hour shift. After stating a preference for outside, he has not been offered a shift yet, so wait and see. We don’t want preferential treatment for jabs but are just community-minded. In the first lockdown. I enjoyed packing and delivering food parcels - heady tier one days! Since my diagnosis, I have been phoning lonely people on their own instead. Maybe I could find him some other ways to help - I think it helps our mental health to feel useful. I’m sure we can work this out and thanks again for listening!

Oopsadaisy1. You imply that the husband is only volunteering to look good, which is, I feel, a little unkind when he may well really want to help in this dreadful situation we all find ourselves in with so little we CAN do to help.
I’m sure that there are huge numbers of NHS workers and others who are volunteers who are working at great risk to themselves and those near to them, by mutual agreement and support. We would be in a graver situation still if it were not for these many unselfish individuals.

You are not being selfish Joy but being sensible and following government advice. We are told to stay at home to protect the NHS. We know that people over 50 are more likely to end up needing hospital attention than younger people. Also this is highly infectious so if one person in a family gets it the others are likely to as well. I have recently heard of a healthy 65 year old friend of the family passing away from this terrible virus. While in the normal situation it would be good to volunteer to help the NHS this is not a normal situation and more burden would be put on it if you or your husband became ill. There are plenty of younger people able to volunteer and in an area of increasing infection it would not be sensible to put oneself in the midst of it. Even the most well managed centre is not risk free. Your husband will need to use the toilet facilities and also likely have coffee breaks so will be mixing indoors. Plus you are dealing with members of the public who may not always behave in a careful manner, maybe due to mental health or behavioural problems. Regarding volunteers who are given the vaccine - hopefully they are told that it won't give them instant immunity as it needs to build up over a few weeks!

Your husband is a hero for volunteering - as I understand it, older volunteers will be put in lower risk jobs (such as outside stewards) and there is a high chance he will be vaccinated sooner rather than later due to leftover vaccines at the end of the day because of people not attending their appointments. Kudos to your husband for wanting to do whatever he can to help - we need more like him

Notspaghetti..... I think you will find that after first vaccination the protection is 70% not 30%. Yes, it takes approx 3 weeks for this to kick in but personally, I'd like 70%protection over the none that most of us have right now.

Have you thought about suggesting to your husband that he might be well advised to wait until you've both had at least your first vaccines before he goes off to volunteer?

I think he's doing a very good thing volunteering to help but yes, he should be considering both you r health and his before doing anything.

I would give anything to be able to volunteer, I applied to do so but was turned down flat because I have Multiple Sclerosis. Maybe once I've had my vaccine they may change their decision but for now I can only praise those who do volunteer and hope everyone gets vaccinated ASAP.

I fail to see why pensioners would feel the need to volunteer, there are thousands of younger people unable to do their regular job and are better placed to work.

If retired people stopped volunteering so many community initiatives would end.

harrigran

I fail to see why pensioners would feel the need to volunteer, there are thousands of younger people unable to do their regular job and are better placed to work.

Better placed but perhaps not coming forward. I’d love to see the stats.

Turns out that I am not unfurloughed in doing my work at a vaccination centre. I am still furloughed but have been "volunteered ". Is that possible? Isn't it an oxymoron? Mind you , I did get my first vaccine today, and I really do love being there. There is a real buzz about the place. And the fact that the army have turned up certainly gladens the eye. I just wish they wouldn't talk to me as if I was their granny! I am only 66!!!

As a retired Senior Nurse with more than 30 years in the profession, I fully understand your concerns! I would even go so far as to suggest he is the one being selfish here, by putting both himself and you at risk! I am 63 now and I would not even consider voluntary work in an area where there is a risk of infection! I believe there should be an age limit on volunteering in Covid hubs! I know many people won't agree with me, but I feel us older folk need to do everything we can to keep ourselves safe! I am sure hubby could find safer voluntary work, if he chose to!