Shielded, what does it really mean?

According to the rules we can now drive to exercise as long as we exercise for longer than we drive. I'm 76 but no health problems and live on the edge of a National Park. I drive about ten minutes to get there and then walk my dogs for a couple of hours and very rarely see anyone - this must be good for overall health. I also go to local town on my bicycle (electric!) for shopping where we queue outside 2 m apart - so supporting local shops and buying fresh food not ready meals. Hopefully we will all come out of this fitter than before. I'm a widow so used to living on my own, but Zoom is a great boon at the moment. We must try and stay positive for the sake of our mental health. I've been listening to audiobooks of P G Wodehouse to take my mind off the news!

Megs36 Surely the draconian shielding rules are for people who live with others who are leaving the house to work, exercise or shop etc. It makes sense, under those circumstances, for the extremely vulnerable members of the household to sleep separately and use a dedicated bathroom if possible.

If neither of you has left the house or had any other human contact for seven weeks, you can't possibly have caught the virus or infect each other. At that rate, (taking careful precautions with deliveries to the house), there surely can't be any reason to isolate from each other by avoiding physical contact and sleeping apart.

DH has had the letter and as we live in a flat and can’t sleep separately or have separate bathrooms, I am staying in with him. That way we can continue to love together as we always have without causing him any risk. Neither of us have been out since the lockdown. Shopping is delivered or sons collect for us and leave stuff outside. All shopping is disinfected (not sure whether there’s a point to that or not) .
I agree with others there is no reason to have separate beds if all in the household are staying in totally and not mixing with others in any way at all. Not popping out or shopping etc.

I meant live together but love is a good word too

I am 75, go for a walk at about 7am each morning to buy my newspaper and milk, speak on FaceTime with my family each evening, and am slowly going mad through lack of human company. Then I see people meeting up in the park, etc. Ughhh.

missdeke, I have read the two sheilding letters I have received and no-where does it suggest getting fresh air through open windows or getting someone to put bins out.
I'm quite puzzled by this.

I have scanned the part of the letter, which talks about getting fresh air.
You can go out in your garden or step out onto your doorstep for fresh air as long as you stay away at least two metres at from other people

Megs, you asked for advice and some, who are sheilding, have offered their interpretation of the letter. Please believe that posters are only trying to be helpful and suggesting how you could make your life more tolerable.
It is up to each of us how we interpret and follow the guidelines in the letter, as long as we are not putting ourselves and others at risk.

My 64 year old friend has had "the letter". She had breast cancer 17 years ago. Completely recovered and has never had a recurrence. She has never married and is fiercely independent, leading a very active social life with many friends. She is also a passionate gardener with a greenhouse full of tiny plants. On top of that, she has a very active puppy and cares for her elderly aunt who fortunately moved into a home for a short stay just before all this started and has stayed there. My friend's letter says that she isn't even supposed to go into the garden but can open a window! Yet George Alagiah, who has stage four cancer is still reading the news!! No wonder my friend is not impressed!

If some are receiving letters suggesting you cannot even go in the garden, it surely means that there are different variations of the letter coming from the different UK governments? That is very confusing.

Lizbethann, Perhaps your friend should check with her GP, as a fair number of letters and texts were sent in error.
It seems abit draconian for someone, who apparently has no other health conditions.

Daddima that film was shot from a distance and everyone was, we are assured, distanced from others and those standing together were in family groups.

Oh, how deceptive the camera can be.

suziewoozie I can't get a delivery slot with useless Waitrose even after pleading with them and having had a shielded letter.
We used to shop weekly at Waitrose but I doubt they will have my custom again after this is all over.
They are officious and unhelpful.

And they obviously failed 'O' level geography.

Marydoll thanks. That is a good idea. I will suggest it to her. I know she is being very careful anyway and, as she lives at the end of a cul de sac with school playing fields next to her, she can avoid human contact as much as possible. But I know she is finding it very hard and resents being told to not even go into the garden. I know she will just use her common sense.

Callistemon - I absolutely agree with your comments regarding Waitrose. I’ve been shopping with them for 45 years. Always giving them top marks in surveys and singing their praises. Am now bitterly disappointed that despite being shielded and contacting them three times, I have not been graced with a response! Tesco have been great.
Regarding the ‘terms and conditions’ of the shielded letter, quite a few folk on here are still confusing the general letter to all over 70s with the specific shielding correspondence.
Not helpful.

Call Tbh I was amazed when I went on the WR site a few weeks ago and logged on ( I’ve never had home deliveries but had an account for collection orders at Christmas). Up popped a message straight away saying I had been given priority access to delivery slots. I wonder if they had my dob from the My Waitrose card? Still baffled but grateful as no help from Sainsbury’s

suziewoozie it’s baffling. We are long term Waitrose shoppers and my DH is on the government shielded list. We have phoned Waitrose 4 times now and no help at al yet Sainsbury’s give us a slot every week. Do you think different parts of the country have taken responsibility for helping the shielded? Seems a bit odd to me

I was registered with Sainsburys and they said they had no record of me sheilding.
Tesco, on the other hand, have been excellent. I have had regular deliveries.

vickymeldrew, I think you may be correct about confusion over the letters.
Sheilding letters have your NHS CHI number at the top of the page.
Some posters are still confusing being vulnerable with those who are designated as , clinically extremely, vulnerable and have received a shielding letter. There is a difference.
Although expecting the letter, it was still very upsetting to receive it.
However, it is certainly wise to avoid contact with others for all of us, where possible.

Rufus is an alien he is a non UK resident, different rules apply to different countries
Mick Curse it! You've blown my cover! How did you find out? There are many more of us here "Down Under", but we're not from Outer Space; planetary quarantine still applies limiting space travel, but don't take any notice of "The Andromeda Strain" if you need to sleep well.!
Good Health
OoRoo

You manage to blend in very well Rufus, for an alien.

Since lockdown life has not been very different for me. I have walking difficulties because of osteoarthritis and am in constant pain. I used to be helped once a week on to the Dial a bus to town to get a scooter to do my food shopping. Now I have Sainsburys delivery once a week. I have a home help who now only comes briefly to do those tasks and gardening which I find it impossible to do and she keeps her distance. My family all live more than 150miles away. Fortunately I have the internet to rely on for keeping in touch and shopping. My son arranged a Zoom party for my 97th birthday.
The only thing I really lack is conversation. Feel I shall lose the power of speech.

Rufus I am a Dalek or not....

Isn’t it amazing how a simple question leads to so much acrimony from all those who know everything and have been there done that ( and got The Letter). Interestingly some of my comments seem to have disappeared. Some opinions not acceptable?

suzie we are regular Waitrose shoppers, have cards and have had deliveries, although not many, in the past.
I explained my situation but no, they are 'helping as many customers as possible' but are not giving priority apparently.
Tesco have been helpful, as have our neighbours.

Bijou I'm glad you are coping and getting deliveries.
There's always someone on here who will chat, although it's not the same. But it's great that you are so good at using the internet.

My sister-in-law is a bit younger than you, used to use Dial-a-Ride but doesn't use the internet and feels quite isolated. She is physically able, but now has dementia and is quite bewildered by all this.

Belated 97th birthday wishes to you ??

The stay at home message is one thing - goodness what's happening now, though - and that came in a letter from the government and applied to everyone. ( What waste of money!) But some of us in addition have had a letter either from our GP or a specialist at a hospital and that indicated we had a condition that made us particularly vulnerable. Pack a hospital bag was part of the message. I haven't - it felt like admitting defeat. But I know what I need to put into it if I have to and can gather it all in five minutes if I have to. The letter reads as it it's quite caring but really the twelve weeks, ending in my case around the end of June are more to do with NHS capacity than guaranteeing I won't get the disease at all. I think the tow separate things are getting a little confused in this thread.

Megs there are no deleted posts on the thread so your comments must be there.

I am having a telephone appointment with the consultant next week, could your hospital appointment be carried out on the phone or were you due an examination?