To ask people shielding what you’d realistically what implemented to help?

[Cornana]

First off, I fully appreciate our government is an absolute farce at times and haven’t exactly been capable recently. That said, I keep saying (mostly on Facebooks) statements such as, “Clothes shops will be opening soon but the shielded still can’t go outside.” And getting annoyed that the shielded still have to stay inside, or are recommended too.

I understand it must be shit to see the rest of the world returning to ‘normal,’ but aside from having a vaccine and/or good treatment for COVID, what can/could the government actually do to make the situation easier for the shielded?

I understand long term financial support would help, but I’m interested in ideas of what people would like to be done, both practical and also in an ‘ideal’ world level.

[Cornana]

Title should say want.

[Cornana]

*seeing sorry

[NoRoomInBed]

Im Not shielding but surely people who are shielding could visit people who are shielding also? Cause surely if they have been shielding religiously then it shouldn't be a problem? Happy to be told I have my head up my arse if I'm wrong though

[ToothFairyNemesis]

For my dh to be off work furloughed or full pay or wfh , as I am shielding and we cannot shield in the home as he provides personal care.
For my children who cannot attend school due to their disabilities to be provided with proper tutoring , especially my year ten if they cannot go back to school in September.
My the government to keep us informed rather than barely acknowledge us in briefings.

[VaTeLaverLesMains]

I want to see the evidence that a shielding person is running a risk if they are outdoors and say 3 metres from others.

If other people are safe at that distance why aren't shielding people?

Especially if they aren't immunosuppressed.

The guidance is very extreme, and I'm not sure it's all necessary. I'm not avoiding my children and dh for months with no end in sight,

If dh has friends or family round it seems unnecessarily cruel to not see them too.

I'd also like to see proper employment protection going forward.

[Cornana]

If you haven’t seen anyone else, for 14 days and then see someone else who hasn’t seen someone for 14 days, the risk must be minimal.

Proper education and pay for proper, effective shielding would definitely be important.

[VaTeLaverLesMains]

Many shielding people aren't ill or frail, we need to be outside and exercising, and socialising in a safe way.

If that means sitting at a greater distance that would preferable to not seeing people.

[EveryoneLoves09876]

@noroominbed but how would you get there? Would you touch your front door to go out, a car handle? Is anyone in your household not shielding? Do you wipe down your shopping properly?

For every 3 that do all this religiously and make sure no one else leaves the house, at least 1 will not. I already know a shielding person who does daily walks. The risk is lower than non shielders, sure! But the risk is still there. As much as I'm not a Boris fan, I don't think he wants you all dead. Or more bluntly, overwhelming the nhs.

I'm sure it'll happen at one point, but we have a long road ahead and I suppose they want to do it slowly :(

[EveryoneLoves09876]

Plus people already do more than they are supposed to, so he's already expecting some of you to go out and attend a bbq probably.

Also if the rest of your household are going out it's not really proper shielding! People are doing it very differently.

[VaTeLaverLesMains]

I would like to get that question to the CMO about having a greater distance for shielding but still being allowed to see people in your garden.

[NoRoomInBed]

Well that's what I ment by religiously shielding surely touching your own car door would be fine?

[VaTeLaverLesMains]

The rest of my household are only walking (semi rural so easy to distance) but not shopping.

Real shielding is extreme: stay mainly in one room, don't eat, sleep or sit with others, avoid your own kids...

[FourTeaFallOut]

First I'd like someone to run a survey of all those people in the shielding group and their family members who are curtailed by the shielding restrictions. Some proper information in the public domain to demonstrate the scale of shielding and the breadth of support required to actually help us and not just shelve us.

[EveryoneLoves09876]

I can understand you'd want a bit of something to hope for.

[YummiestBut]

I would like us to be addressed more.

I've always had friends popping over for food / medication or just a chat. I stay on my door step and they sit several meters away.

This week I've started not washing all the food that comes into my house and will open mail and then wash my hands.

We don't have to follow the guidance of shielding. Its a personal decision that people have the right to go against. I've had to go out on a few occasions - like the vets, but i wouldn't go into a shop.

I want to be able to choose to see my partner.

[Cuddlecouch]

I'm not shielding but have friends who are. They are fuming this evening. One of them has suggested that they are allowed out 3 times a week and everyone else is on lockdown so they can go for a, walk/ jog etc.

Another has suggested full pay and additional long term financial support (They already receive some benefits). I don't think either of these solutions are workable or practical. After all, surely if you're shielding the main goal is you protect yourself and you have to take responsibility for it.

I don't know what the answer is but I know that the there is likely to be a mental health crisis on our hands unless some restrictions are released for the shielding. Perhaps they could meet family members who are also shielding so there has been little outside contact? Something needs to be done.

[Selfsettling3]

I don’t know is the simple answer. My husband is shielding so our child is advised to not go to school. I want some answers about how we educate her, will be supported and provided with appropriate material. If I have to go and buy all the banded reading books it’s going to cost us a fortune.

[Lumene]

More information on the path out of lockdown. Proper track and trace to make it more plausible life can start again at some point. Employment protection.

[Dreamersandwishers]

I would like it made clear the shielding is advice and not law - I do go out for walks, with gp approval, as that is surely healthier than sitting inside to atrophy.
I would like shielding to be reviewed on a personal basis, as in, you are vulnerable specifically in this way, or better still, actually there’s no evidence that you are at risk, despite your record having this label...
I would really like someone to tell me it will all be over when I wake up tomorrow..😏

[Dreamersandwishers]

Oh, I would say, I am grateful that I am being looked after and pretty impressed with the speed at which I was contacted.

[morethanasong]

I think what I'd most like is for people to be considerate of us and not just forget us as their lives move - more slowly than they'd like, I'm sure, but nevertheless - back towards normal. Linked to that, I'd like
people to follow the guidelines strictly so that infection rates can continue to fall, giving us the best chance possible, pre-vaccine, of being able to resume our normal lives. Finally, I'd like people to realise that shielders are not all extremely elderly but many are in fact children or adults who lead full lives. There does seem to be a group of people who still believe that their lives are being put on hold for a group of people 'who will be dead soon anyway regardless of coronavirus' (NB I'm not saying that elderly lives don't matter, just that this is a sentiment I'm coming across).

I realise that you've actually asked what we'd like the government to do but actually, at this point, I think we're relying on everyone to do their bit.

[Purpleorange1]

I'd like some kind of job protection. Many of us that are sheilding are in full time jobs and are worried sick whether we will have a job by the end of this epidemic. We still have bills and mortgages to pay and surviving off SSP isn't enough.
I've followed the sheilding guidelines but I'm losing out on my normal pay. I want the government to make sure we get our normal pay. We aren't off sick, we are off work because the government has told us to stay home.
I would much rather be working. I'm missing my colleagues,friends and the actual work! Unfortunately my job can't be done from home, I've already asked if I could do some admin but then there isn't enough work for me. Even the simple things like walking from the carpark to my workplace. The furthest I've walked in the last 10 weeks has been up the stairs.

[Wingedharpy]

Smart shielding to be introduced.

I keep banging on about this but I'd like to see some clever boffin, develop an algorithm into which we could anonymously input our relevant information eg. age, weight, medical condition(s), medication, attitude to risk, postcode (your own or the area where you want to go, ) etc etc .

This could be linked to prevalence of Covid 19 in the area ie.it's running amok or not much Covid in x area,
and advice could be churned out at the end eg. reasonable safe to go out for a walk/don't step over your threshold etc etc.

It could be used by shielders, vulnerable, worried well and everyone in between.

[Wingedharpy]

"running amok"

[ToothFairyNemesis]

After all, surely if you're shielding the main goal is you protect yourself and you have to take responsibility for it.
The government want us to shield to protect the nhs!