Shielding list to add extra people

MissAdventure, it's a bit optimistic to think the end's in sight, isn't it? It's still a world pandemic - so there's always the possibility of new variants threatening our safety, however careful we are.

I think it's good that the shielding list is updated as more information comes to light, don't you? Every life saved is precious.

Well, that's the first time I've ever been accused of optimism.

I had a very long email from Matt Hancock this pm to say I should be shielding. It gave me quite a shock, after all this time.

I have also just received an email from Matt Hancock and to be quite honest I was very surprised to receive it. I have well controlled the 2 diabetes. The email has definitely come too late as I have already had Covid, fortunately very mildly, but I had a positive test and I have also had my first vaccine.

I have been going shopping once a week and been to my chemist both of which I am now supposed to not do. I feel angry that it has taken a year to be told that I am CEV.

I watched an interview tonight, which explained how the changes came about.

The new model was developed following work by Oxford University which looked at the characteristics of people who died in the first wave to better understand risk.
Data was also collected from people who were hospitalised with Covid.
This calculation includes things such as ethnicity, deprivation (by postcode) and weight to work out a person's risk of becoming seriously ill if they were to catch Covid.
It also looked at age, underlying health issues and prescribed medications.

It can only be a good think that more people are now included. We were dealing with an unknown, so obviously more has been learned as time has gone on.

I’ve just got my new shielding email but for me it is more of an extension letter as I was classed as ECV last year. My first shielding letter was quite a shock! The ECV letter is needed for my employer. I think the NHS have become aware of factors other than age and health that can make people more likely to be more adversely affected by Covid infection, such as ethnicity being male and being morbidly obese, and have assessed staff according to this- giving staff members a ‘ Covid age’ ( most unflattering!) I presume similar ideas have now been applied to the general population. It is right that emerging evidence is taken into account, when deciding policy.
I presume the hope to vaccinate this new group of under 70 ECV SAP!

I only hope this isn't the prelude to opening up too early - yet again! - so transmission runs rife amongst the population, while those at the highest risk are allegedly protected. Long Covid deniers seem to be particularly vocal at the moment.

I have a horrid feeling, but hope I'm wrong.

I had another shielding email this morning.
I don’t get the impression things are going to open up any time soon growstuff.
I haven’t hugged my close family for a year. I’m not sure I can continue only seeing my young grandchildren outdoors. I’m cautious and compliant, so if I’m on the edge of taking the risk of having them in my well ventilated kitchen, I expect I’m far from alone

I hope they don't Iam64. I wish I had more confidence that the government would do the right thing.

I was miffed (not really) that I didn't receive a personal email/letter/text from Matt Hancock. I've just done the QCovid risk assessment tool and it would appear my risk score is 88 where the highest risk is 100. I've lost points (ie considered less at risk) because I'm female, not overweight and live in a wealthy area.

My first jab is booked for next week, but I'm going to carry on as I have been. I'm looking forward for hairdressers to re-open because I haven't had my hair cut for over a year and it's half way down my back.

Iam I just want to be able to meet up with them outside in a park or in our garden. I’ve only physically seen them on the doorstep when dropping off Christmas / birthday presents. The only people I’ve touched/ have touched me now for 11 months have been DH, the phlebotomist, hairdresser ( one August visit) the dentist (ditto) and the vaccinator last week .<sigh>

growstuff

Employers must make arrangements if possible for anybody who is being shielded, which might mean that they can work at home if possible. Their employment rights are protected. If arrangements can't be made, they have the right to redundancy pay. They also have the right to support with having medication and essential groceries delivered.

Like you Dorsetcupcake, I'm diabetic and I have also had a heart attack and am considered "high risk" but not "critically vulnerable", which in practice meant I had no support at all. Fortunately, I didn't have to work outside the home and am not sure what I would have done. I've had all my shopping delivered for a year (I haven't been inside a shop) but I couldn't get medication delivered because my GP isn't signed up to the service Boots and the other online pharmacies use. My local pharmacy wouldn't deliver because I wasn't clinically vulnerable, which has meant that I've had to leave home to collect prescription meds.

I think it also means that some people will be vaccinated sooner than they would have been (if they don't already belong to one of the priority groups).

Have you considered using an organisation such as Pharmacy4U? I'm not especially vulnerable in the current sense of the word, but have had my meds delivered for a couple of years now. They organise the prescript ion, and deliver to your door. You don't need to go out.

Sorry, I should have included a link: Pharmacy4U

Blinko I tried all of them last year. Pharmacy4U don't deliver to my area.

It's something to do with my GP practice not being signed up for some digital service or other. I spoke to the practice manager about it. Apparently, they're trying to save their own onsite pharmacy and are worried that if people signed up for home deliveries, they'd have to shut, which means that the people living in the sticks (it's a semi-rural practice) wouldn't be able to get prescriptions made up at the same time as they have appointments.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway. It's really annoying.

Suziewoozie
“The only people I’ve touched/ have touched me now for 11 months have been DH, the phlebotomist, hairdresser ( one August visit) the dentist (ditto) and the vaccinator last week .<sigh>“
Suzie this is normal for me, pandemic or not, am I unsociable?

Growstuff, don’t you have friends who would pick up the odd prescription for you? They must also do their own shopping etc.
In our area there are also charities who do this.

BlueSky

Suziewoozie
“The only people I’ve touched/ have touched me now for 11 months have been DH, the phlebotomist, hairdresser ( one August visit) the dentist (ditto) and the vaccinator last week .<sigh>“
Suzie this is normal for me, pandemic or not, am I unsociable?

Probably! I'm the same. The only people who have touched me since last March are my GP, phlebotomist and dentist. I occasionally talk to my neighbours over the fence. Thank goodness I have a good internet connection.

grandmajet

Growstuff, don’t you have friends who would pick up the odd prescription for you? They must also do their own shopping etc.
In our area there are also charities who do this.

I'm know there are people who would if I asked. However, most of them work and/or have children and I don't want to impose, especially as there's nothing I can do in return. I have a repeat prescription every month (or two weeks) and don't really want it to become a chore. If I were to be ill, I know that I have people who would do "one off" favours.

I've worked out that if I drive into town at just after 6, the parking is free and there's nobody around. I can park just next to the pharmacy and nip in and out within minutes. It's my monthly "outing" and probably good for the car, which had to have a new battery last week - probably because it was so cold and I hardly use the car.

I'm trying to put myself on the shoes of those people who received the notification. What emotions to think they have been particularly vulnerable all along without necessarily realising it! And it must be like living on a volcano for them as they go forward with a whole new way of thinking.

I am pleased those who need looking after most have been recognised, some will probably ignore the new advice and I can understand that. It is hard to take away the little freedoms people have got used to without coming to harm.

Growstuff I was thinking how little practical help there would be in my area if I had to shield. This must be really hard for people with no partner/family/friends nearby.
Yes like you say thank goodness for the internet!

However, most of them work and/or have children and I don't want to impose, especially as there's nothing I can do in return.
No one counts the cost of what they do growstuff nor expects things in return. The world would be a sad place if people thought like that. Some of those you mention might be just glad to help, you could make them some cakes I guess if you wanted to. I get pleasure from picking up bits, and taking my furry dog to see my 93 year old neighbour who never goes out. Her face is a picture!

Ellianne

*However, most of them work and/or have children and I don't want to impose, especially as there's nothing I can do in return.*
No one counts the cost of what they do growstuff nor expects things in return. The world would be a sad place if people thought like that. Some of those you mention might be just glad to help, you could make them some cakes I guess if you wanted to. I get pleasure from picking up bits, and taking my furry dog to see my 93 year old neighbour who never goes out. Her face is a picture!

Absolutely. grow acts of kindness aren’t transactional necessarily. And as Elliane says you can ‘give back’ in other ways anyway if you need to. My lovely neighbours have been there now for us for almost a year. In the past in a different world, we contributed as we could to the local community and now we take more. But I bake especially tied to an event eg Parkin, mince pies etc. My husband gives Zoom maths lessons to two of their children. They would be really upset if they thought we wouldn’t ask them if we needed help. Our WhatsApp group also gives opportunities for us to help safely including just giving information or recommendations.

BlueSky

Growstuff I was thinking how little practical help there would be in my area if I had to shield. This must be really hard for people with no partner/family/friends nearby.
Yes like you say thank goodness for the internet!

Yes, it is hard. I realised it when I had a heart attack. My children live hundreds of miles away and, for the first time in my life, I wasn't able to look after myself. There is virtually no support available for people living on their own without family. I was told not to drive, so spent a fortune on taxis just taking me to the doctor and pharmacy because I wasn't supposed to walk far either.

I remember thinking, when all this started, that the holes in social care would very quickly become apparent.

That's why I've been so determined not to be infected, so take no chances, and have planned just about everything I can think of, including lists of emergency contacts and have enough food in the house for two weeks if I had to live on tins and packets. I've asked somebody to pick me up from the hospital if necessary and have a hospital bag packed, etc etc. I did it all last year, so I don't even think about it now, but I know that I'm ready for an emergency and don't get anxious.

PS. I can't remember the last time I baked a cake (20-30 years?). I honestly don't think anybody would want whatever I would produce!

Growstuff like you I wonder what the bigger picture is behind all this but maybe I'm just cynical!
It appears they have known about the higher risk factors for quite a while. Why the action now? Is it the usual dragging of feet? Of course it could be they just want to protect vulnerable people. To me it just seems a bit strange that they are extending the number of those shielded and the time they are shielded at this particular moment. Surely if they had even an inkling that these groups are at risk they should have shielded them before Christmas?
It could be that they want to open up but dont want another wave of deaths.
They have found a new Kent variant,maybe that's more serious?
Maybe they are realising that as vaccinations move into less vulnerable groups uptake will be more problematical? That could result in those more high risk once again being isolated.
So far shielding support has been variable. Access to the WRVS volunteers/shopping/meds delivery. Financial support was SSP which probably insufficient for most to live on. The biggest protection it gave was for those in employment as better chance of Furlough . That said my Union rep told me last summer he was dealing with a lot of shielders whose employers were dragging their feet.
I wasnt shielded last year although according to a medical risk assessment I was only a few points off. This time last year I was working in a care home. I access work by public transport. In April the care home lost half its residents to Covid and the majority of staff got it. My employers were so uncooperative in even the most basic support I involved the unions. Last summer/early autumn was incredibly stressful. They could have furloughed me without being shielded but refused,my GP said hands were tied as she couldnt even write a letter as not officially shielding. This was despite an earlier conversation with her where she said my work environment was unsafe and recommended I didnt go in!
I was lucky. I received no pay or SSP but was able to live on savings. If this had happened 5 years ago i would have had no choice but to go into an unsafe workplace. I was also lucky in that managed to get online deliveries as dont drive and my pharmacy delivers. The closest I have got to anyone was when i had my jab last week.
I dont know whether I will be shielded under new scheme. Fortunately I am now in a job where working from home. I do know of fellow diabetics who high risk and in front line jobs such as teaching. The start of the Autumn term was horrible for them. Several had resigned by Christmas leaving jobs they loved and much needed income. Shielding would have at least offered some protection.
So far this government is quite dismissive of those that are vulnerable unless forced into action. Time will tell what is behind current decision.