Advice vulnerable and isolation.

Anyone with those types of conditions needs to be more careful with self isolating but you can only advise them If they choose to do silly things there is little you can do about it. You and your DH are doing what's best for yourselves and the NHS. That's all you can do.

Essentially anyone over 70 or with an underlying condition is considered 'vulnerable' and this means they are under orders to strictly observe social distancing, that is staying home, with exercise once a day not going near other people and limiting shopping to once a week and taking as many precautions as possible.

Within that vulnerable group, there are 1.5 million whose underlying conditions are such that if they catch the virus they highly likely to be seriously ill or even to die. People in that category will have been contacted by letter or email (not text) and ordered to to go into social exclusion, that is staying in their homes (and gardens), not leaving them or meeting up with anyone not in their household. Food and medicins will have to be delivered to the house, as they cannot leave home even for that.

If you have not received that letter then you are not in that group. if you think you should be I would contact your GP and speak to them about it.

The text message is a generic reminder sent out to everybody.

>>>>>>no mobile, no text message.? No notification of any kind.

Ellen It didn't say anything new, just 'because of Covid-19 please socially distance.'

This is the official government advice for extremely vulnerable people:

What do we mean by extremely vulnerable?
People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:
Solid organ transplant recipients.
People with specific cancers:
people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.
People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).
People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.
Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

Shielding is for your personal protection. It is your choice to decide whether to follow the measures we advise.

Individuals who have been given a prognosis of less than 6 months to live, and some others in special circumstances, could decide not to undertake shielding. This will be a deeply personal decision. We advise calling your GP or specialist to discuss this.

The NHS in England is directly contacting people with these conditions to provide further advice.

If you think you fall into one of the categories of extremely vulnerable people listed above and you have not received a letter by Sunday 29 March 2020 or been contacted by your GP, you should discuss your concerns with your GP or hospital clinician.

I have received the letter telling me that I should be shielded. I expected it.

However, my 71 years old husband of 40+ years is fit and active. We have a dilemma. While we are perfectly able to socially isolate from each other at home, we are struggling because we've always been a couple who hold hands, cuddle frequently, always sleep in the same bed and snuggle up together in the evenings. (I know - many will say yeuch!)

We need bits of shopping, prescriptions etc. from time to time although reasonably well organised. Would it be very bad if we asked one of the local volunteers to help so that my husband doesn't have to socially isolate himself from me in our home if he goes to the shops/chemist? It's bad enough knowing that I can't go anywhere for 12 weeks, not being able to get a cuddle from my husband makes things seem a lot worse.

I should be thankful and also fortunate that I haven't been issued with any " personal " notification. I've read the list put up by Growstuff and don't come under those severe categories.
I noticed that two of my male neighbours each received texts because of previous heart attacks where stents were given.

I imagine that because my health is monitored annually and my INR's have been stable for a while that there's nothing underlying that would overly concern anyone.

However I'm in no way complacent and only dart out to local shops in my deserted area---even in the empty shop. The last time I " mixed " with people was at Asda nearly 4 weeks ago.

Not that I go far under normal conditions anyway, you don't on your own when most of your friends are no longer here so I'm well used to isolation ( my choice )
I worry more for my own families now.

Missedout, That sounds perfectly reasonable to me and very understandable.

Party4 if you have received the government text you should take it very seriously. They have only sent it to the most vulnerable. If everyone in your household can self-isolate that is the best you can do. I would not risk bringing the virus into your home.

Many of us who have not had that text are, imo, doing what is for the greater good and are self-isolating in order to reduce the number needing the NHS. I know people are in their mid-70s and still going shopping despite having people who can do it for them. I think there are now a lot more supermarket delivery slots now than there were and many are putting the over 70s first. Good luck

EllanVannin I doubt if your neighbours have been told to "shield" because they've had heart attacks and stents, unless the heart attacks caused significant other heart problems or they have other serious medical conditions.

Apparently, the NHS (via GPs) is contacting everybody in the next group (high risk) later this week and giving contact details for anybody needing help with getting food or medication.

Nonnie, The text went to every mobile phone number in the UK. If you are on the 'shielded' list you will be contacted by letter or email. My BiL is on the shielded list and he received an email that was detailed and explicit.

I had a SMS text first:-
NHS Coronovirus Service: We have identified that you're someone at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronovirus. Please remain at home for a minimum of 12 weeks. and so on.
Then I had a letter, absolutely no doubt in my case. However, no email, so not everyone is getting emails.

The NHS doesn't have everybody's email address. Some people don't have them anyway, which is why letters are being sent.

There seems to be a certain amount of confusion about who is in which category and what they're supposed to do.

What worries me is what happens afterwards. When this is all resolved and we are let out of social isolation, all the over 70s and the vulnerable people will have no immunity to the virus. It will still be lurking somewhere. They say a vaccine will take a year to produce. Anyone have any ideas?

Not sure that "self isolating" and "queuing at Sainsburys" are quite compatible!

I've had "the letter" only 61, but have COPD, managed with 3 different daily inhalers.

So, on one hand, I qualify for the special shopping hours, but on the other, I should stay in for 12 weeks (under current guidelines)

Mr P, shopping for us, as apart from a walk around the village I'm staying in, had to queue for 45 minutes at Morrison's on Friday, and although people were keeping a distance apart, did make me wonder if he was bringing anything other than the shopping home........

Catch 22, really.

BBevan That applies to any person in any situation who doesn't happen to get the current bug.

The idea is that by the time we get freedom of movement, the incidence of corona virus and its presence in the environment will have been reduced to such low levels that none of us will encounter it anyway.

I had the text, 72 and in good health with no underlying health issues. DH also had it, he is diabetic and he has had three chest infections in the last three months. Still waiting for a letter for him.

Thanks to everyone offering their opinions and advice.It is bit of minefield.Still no letter for me so going to phone GPs for peace of mind,if total isolation required then so be it but it would be lovely if could go for social distance walk not bothered about shopping,we will manage.Find planning a day/week at a time rather than long term better for my mental state.I am usually the one running errands for everyone so very hard to sit back doing nothing although I am trying to keep up contact with elderly relatives.Now to YouTube "how to give yourself a trim"Keep safe folks?

BBbevan, what happens afterwards? It depends upon how long you isolate.

When lockdown is lifted, the next 'batch' of people catch it, infections and death rates rise again.

There may be the need for another, or a few more lockdowns. Their purpose is to avoid the NHS becoming too overwhelmed - and buy time.

At some point, perhaps next spring, there may be 'herd immunity', where 80% of the population has immunity and it can't infect easily, so effectively dies out.

There's the possibility of better tests, treatments etc. by then too.