Shielding list to add extra people

New scientific Knowledge never stops, we learn from new data and research and cooperating with other countries. Regulations have to change as we learn more.
It's very sad if someone has lost a loved one to Covid who we now know should have been shielding, but they would have been told to shield if the facts we have today had been known at the beginning of the epidemic. The rules and regulations will change as more knowledge is gleaned.

At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our own actions. You may well question why the government thinks it’s ok to add further restrictions to the country’s population....can you imagine if you’re struggling to work to feed your kids and someone comes along and says you need to not work and stay indoors, how that must feel....and no I don’t think the end is in sight, I’m afraid.

NellG totally agree with you but some people don't have minds of their own and have to be told exactly what they can and can't do. They then have to blame others for not telling them.

I’m glad that people have been identified under the new system for identifying those who are most vulnerable. I have a friend in her late 60’s who received the letter yesterday but has no idea why she has now been out in the list! Doesn’t appear to fulfil any of the criteria for the letter but it was def addressed to her. She’s a bit confused!

Gingergirl

At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our own actions. You may well question why the government thinks it’s ok to add further restrictions to the country’s population....can you imagine if you’re struggling to work to feed your kids and someone comes along and says you need to not work and stay indoors, how that must feel....and no I don’t think the end is in sight, I’m afraid.

I don't think the end is in sight either.

The point is that there are some people of working age who have had to continue working in potentially unsafe conditions because they can't afford not to work. Shielding them now ensures that they have a statutory right to financial and other support, if they feel that working is unsafe. Up to now, their only option was to resign.

It's protecting these people rather than restricting them. If they don't see it like that and choose to take unnecessary risks, that's up to them

Caragran

NellG totally agree with you but some people don't have minds of their own and have to be told exactly what they can and can't do. They then have to blame others for not telling them.

I think you're underestimating people. One of the big problems has been that people haven't been able to afford to do what's best for them - and everybody else.

GreyKnitter

I’m glad that people have been identified under the new system for identifying those who are most vulnerable. I have a friend in her late 60’s who received the letter yesterday but has no idea why she has now been out in the list! Doesn’t appear to fulfil any of the criteria for the letter but it was def addressed to her. She’s a bit confused!

Her age, ethnicity, postcode and medical history will have been the main criteria.

growstuff

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!

There are loads snd loads of really easy biscuit recipes - you don’t get out of it that easily ? And even no bake fridge cakes- just say the word.

It was obvious right from the start of the pandemic that poorer areas and the BAME population were being hit the hardest. No one needed to need to do any research. The evidence was there on the news every night.

You can work out your own personal risk:

www.qcovid.org/Home/AcademicLicence?licencedUrl=%2FPatientInformation%2FPatientInformation

The research showed that most people included in the study who died from coronavirus would have had risk assessment results that placed them in approximately the top 2% of the population in England that are at the highest risk. For the combined risk of catching and dying of coronavirus, most results were higher than or equal to:

An absolute risk of 0.5% (or 5 in 1,000)
A relative risk of 10 (or 10 times the baseline risk)

digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment/population#agreed-threshold-for-adding-people-to-the-shielded-patient-list

MayBee70

It was obvious right from the start of the pandemic that poorer areas and the BAME population were being hit the hardest. No one needed to need to do any research. The evidence was there on the news every night.

Errmm! But the Equalities Minister (Kemi Badenoch) denied it, when questioned in the HoC.

suziewoozie

growstuff

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!

There are loads snd loads of really easy biscuit recipes - you don’t get out of it that easily ? And even no bake fridge cakes- just say the word.

Noooooooooooooo! I'm diabetic and don't eat cakes and biscuits, so I'm not going to bake something I can't eat.

Growstuff, yes you do have a point....if the theory bears out in practise. I just worry about the mental health of people being ‘labelled’ in this way. I understand that some see it as a positive thing. I guess it depends on how great a risk you think it is...

Sounds as though the letter was written by a committee ? and badly worded.
I don't think it 'disgraceful' that it has taken time to recognise the higher risks to people with LD and other health conditions. It's good that now this has been identified it is now being acted on and a pity that the letter seems to be being met with so much flak.

winterwhite

Sounds as though the letter was written by a committee ? and badly worded.
I don't think it 'disgraceful' that it has taken time to recognise the higher risks to people with LD and other health conditions. It's good that now this has been identified it is now being acted on and a pity that the letter seems to be being met with so much flak.

But the point is re LD and vulnerability is that this issue has been known about for months and not acted upon. And the reason for this imo is that people with learning disabilities are mostly invisible in policy terms in this country and not a political priority .

grow my husband is T1 diabetic, I have loads and loads of diabetes friendly cake, biscuits and pudding recipes. Just give me a shout ? Any more excuses? ?

The email was a bit of a shock, I admit, but I've always been surprised that I wasn't already on the shielding list when I speak to others who are and seem healthier than me. Mainly for my age.
I've been careful and will continue to be.

My husband received a letter yesterday, dated as ‘January’ with advice expiring this Sunday! Perhaps the local surgery will follow up. It makes no difference to our lives as he is retired & I managed to get priority delivery slots last March. We count our blessings.

Gingergirl

Growstuff, yes you do have a point....if the theory bears out in practise. I just worry about the mental health of people being ‘labelled’ in this way. I understand that some see it as a positive thing. I guess it depends on how great a risk you think it is...

Nobody's really sure, but if the average death rate of people who are infected is just under 1%, the risk for people being shielded is just under 10% or higher.

Personally, if I still had to leave the house to work, I'd rather be protected than be worried about being infected from being forced to work - we're not talking about young, fit people with no underlying health conditions.

suziewoozie

grow my husband is T1 diabetic, I have loads and loads of diabetes friendly cake, biscuits and pudding recipes. Just give me a shout ? Any more excuses? ?

Yep! There's no such thing as a diabetic cake or biscuit. I don't miss them anyway. I really dislike the taste of anything sweet now.

T1 diabetics can increase their insulin to counteract the carbs.

I am diabetic and have worked hard to get my BMI into a good range so that I am not making things worse. I understand that there are some people with issues (like the taking of steroids) which keep them with a higher BMI so I understand that they would be identified with a risk factor but I take umbrage that people who just don't care about their weight might be further up the list than people who do. Most of the people with genuine problems with their weight are already classed as vulnerable as they should be.
I have no problem with BAME being prioritised but find it quite ironic that reports I have heard on the news say there is less uptake amongst those communities. Let's hope for their sakes that as the rollout of the vaccine gets quicker that their response is a delayed on rather than an outright refusal.
It doesn't surprise me at all that we need to widen the scope of the vulnerability. My mother and aunt have never received letters despite both suffering chronic kidney problems and being diabetic. During the last year, my aunt has started having dialysis 3 times a week and it is only the clinic that treats her as vulnerable. She has never received a letter from the GP and she is the sort of person who has absolutely faith in the system so won't make a fuss.

growstuff

T1 diabetics can increase their insulin to counteract the carbs.

But he doesn’t - the secret lies in the recipe ?

Growstuff thanks for the links.

Some within the new categories should probably have been shielding earlier. Not all ethnic however pay any attention or have paid any attention to the guidance. Time and time again I gave seen loads of people going to and fro into houses where they do not live to visit. I have commented a couple of times on how many cars are parked in the driveways/at the doors and that there are a lot of visitors only to be told "oh can't keep them away and I'm so popular". And,thus is not in a poor, underprivileged postcode, in fact quite the opposite.