Anyone in MODERATE risk group

[Zem74]

I’m early 30s, moderate risk due to meds for autoimmune condition, generally healthy with no other problems.

Anyone else in the same position...how careful are you being?

My 5 year old has been back at school for a couple of weeks, youngest not back at nursery. Husband WFH, all shopping delivered. But we’ve met friends with similar age children out (parks etc) recently as my children were really starting to suffer with not playing with other children. Am I taking too much risk with this? I feel fine with it at the time but I seem to feel anxious about it all after it’s happened as though I’ve made a mistake!

[baldisbeautiful]

I'm also on meds, for Addison's disease, so I guess moderate risk here too. I've started venturing out a little more over the last couple of weeks and am also feeling a little nervous about this! First trip to supermarket was this week but it felt ok as they were limiting numbers in store so was easy to avoid people. Life goes on I guess. I will continue to be cautious and avoid risk as far as possible but I need a little normality now for the sake of my mental wellbeing

[Zem74]

@baldisbeautiful nice to hear from someone in the same position. I’m really starting to struggle with the lifting of restrictions. When everyone was being told to stay home it was easier, but now I feel that their are clear guidelines for those in the high risk vulnerable category and clear guidelines for those at low risk, anyone in between seems to have been left with making their own judgements with no actual clear info on how badly they would be affected if they were to catch it.

There’s only so long I can stay isolated from family/friends, but also with 2 young children it breaks my heart that this week has been the first time they’ve played with other children, they were beyond happy and made me realise how much they have been missing out on and how detrimental to their wellbeing it is becoming being stuck with just me and eachother for over 3 months

[Topseyt]

I guess I am in that group due to type 2 diabetes and a couple of other bits and bobs.

I'm not doing anything particularly special. I shop in Tesco once a week and I usually nip out for a walk every day much as I always did before all of this.

I work from home usually anyway, so for me on a daily basis nothing much has changed and I'm a fairly natural social distancer (it just didn't have a name until recently 😃).

I've never quarantined or sanitised my post or other deliveries. I just take them in and open them. Nor have I ever washed my shopping. I consider both of those things to be a ridiculous amount of faffing

[Kat101]

I’m BMI nearly 40. Am being a bit cautious - keeping 2m away from older parent even though we’re in a bubble. I would also avoid inside places eg would work from home even if the office opened. But I do go shopping and into town. I try and balance the risks / benefits, but I’m not a believer that this respiratory virus is jumping off surfaces into my lungs.

[SparkyTheCat]

Asthmatic here. I'm lucky to be able to wfh for the forseeable, I go out for exercise most days and have changed my usual supermarket to one which is bigger and better organised. I don't clean shopping or post, but wash my hands after handling. DH and I've had a few distanced outdoor meetups with friends we trust to be similarly sensible; family are all long distance anyway so that isn't so much of an issue. I'm worried about the 2m being reduced, as then social distancing is effectively over and I'm personally at more risk of being very ill if I do catch it.

[SistemaAddict]

What's moderate risk? Have the categories been changed from vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable?

[Zem74]

I was originally on the shielding list as take immunesuppressors but then got told by my nurse I fall in to moderate risk as low dose and well health wise

[Deelish75]

My DP is a stroke survivor - brain haemorrhage as a teenager. He is now early 40s and has made a full recovery, he isn't on any meds except the annual flu jab. He doesn't need to see any medics regarding it - just has a brief chat with the nurse about how he is feeling when he goes for his flu jab. He is classed as vulnerable. DP has spoken to his GP about Covid and his condition and the GP has said that as he has made a full recovery, he's not had any more BH and he is under 45 DP is low risk.

We have two children, one in Yr6, the other in YrR, both are now back at school. We get our most of our shopping delivered or click and collect, although I've been into the supermarket to pick up a few bits about three times since lockdown started. DP WFH and is happy to until the end of the year. He goes out for walks around our local park and he does the school run. Before the DC went back to school we did meet up with PIL - they've been isolating as well and sat in their garden for the afternoon. We are probably going to carry on like this now, we may do a couple of meet up with friends and their children outside during the school holidays. I think as long as we stay outdoors then transmission is very low. There's talk of lowering the distance for social distancing from 2 to 1 metre - again outdoors I think it will be fine but indoors (shops) I think the gov need to mask wearing mandatory. Im happy with the way schools are handling it at the moment using the bubbles and also The WHO have said there is no evidence that under 10s transmit the virus. I am concerned about September, my DS is due to start secondary school and I'm waiting for the next gov announcement.

Both DP and I have come to the conclusion that we just have to live with this virus until there is a vaccination. We're going to do what we need to do for our family (sending the DC back to school) but we are not going to do anything unnecessarily (like parties etc). We'll carry on with FaceTime family - they are fine with that and that seems to be what they want to do as well.

Fingers crossed for a vaccine soon.

[lesbihonest]

I’m BMI 42 ... going to see my gran and not socially distancing at all . She’s 80, she’s deaf, she’s old and there’s just no point any more .

We aren’t going shopping at all, we aren’t even going to the chemist unless absolutely necessary . My gran has only just started getting her pension now - she’s been too scared to go near the post office .

We did have a very small party for gran’s 80th yesterday, my mum, her brother, his son, myself and my gran . We spent most of the day outdoors but didn’t socially distance from each other at all . We’d have struggled hugely if we tried to I think .

[lesbihonest]

However with others - particularly my sister who lives in residential care - we would maintain that 2m distance, and will probably avoid cinemas, taxis, buses, shops, trains, doctors surgery etc for a very long time yet .

[GoldenPoppy]

Quite severe asthmatic, just missed shielding list.
I've only been out 3 times since lockdown for short walks but I got scared so I came home.
All shopping is delivered and most is quarantined in the garage everything else is washed.
I have been into my garden a bit but only if my neighbours are not out.
My two cats have been kept inside throughout although they can come into the back garden if I am there.
DH has been to the corner shop a couple of times but we now sleep in separate rooms.
I am on the verge of resigning from my work as I am due to return in a month and have seen posts of colleagues not social distacing.
I'm usually really sociable and outgoing, I dont know what is happening to me.

[DidoLamenting]

I got sent all the shielding bumph around the middle of April as I'm on Imraldi for Crohn's Disease. By that time I'd already been in contact with a colleague who had had Covid and I hadn't been taking any special precautions beyond what was recommended for everyone. I ignored it.

I've been going out for exercise and shopping. I haven't been wearing a mask. I don't quarantine deliveries (never occurred to me that was even a thing until I saw it on MN) and I don't wash shopping.

[Piggywaspushed]

My DH is a teacher and is a heart patient. I am surprised how low heart valve replacement patients come on the lists as his doctor told him in rather jolly fashion that eh would almost certainly become very ill should he catch it.

He has barely been out and nor have I. DS1 and DS2 are both at home with us (0one is normally away at uni and one is year 11). Am feeling rather anxious about how DH's condition will be viewed when return to school is broadened in September , especially if this is done by just herding everyone back in with no SD. I am also a teacher . He may get to continue to WFH for longer than me.

To a PP , I am sorry to break it to you but the jury is very much out on this :
The WHO have said there is no evidence that under 10s transmit the virus Everything I have read says they do.

[Deelish75]

Everything I have read says they do.

Can you post some links as to what you have read please.

[ChipotleBlessing]

You’ve been doing some very selective reading if everything you’ve read has said under tens transmit the virus.

[Zem74]

@DidoLamenting similar to me then, crohns and azathioprine!
Are you meeting people now?
My 5 year old is desperate to see her friends, sees everyone else doing it and doesn’t understand why she can’t so we met up with friends and their children and they played outside yesterday. I just don’t know what’s the right or wrong thing to do anymore!

[Piggywaspushed]

There's 100s of conflicting links.It has been discussed on lots of threads....

The main gist is there is insufficient evidence. Will see what I can find.

It is certainly true that most children do not suffer badly with it. This is not the same as spreading.

[Piggywaspushed]

No chipotle I haven't. Because children have bene in lockdown there is insufficient evidence. I don't want to start a bunfight on this thread ; just didn't want PP relying on a belief that children never do spread the virus. It is possible they don't but not probable.

[Piggywaspushed]

This from the RCPCH:

A statement about media reports, citing RCPCH, on the transmission of COVID-19 by children.
A number of media reports, citing RCPCH, have incorrectly suggested that children cannot transmit COVID-19. This is not the RCPCH position, nor is it based on evidence.
Our own research and evidence summary explicitly states that the evidence about children in transmitting the virus remains unclear, in particular given the number of asymptomatic cases

So, it is more that I am focusing on the incorrect assumption that they can't spread it, rather than saying they always do iyswim.

[mynameiscalypso]

I'm borderline - I avoided being on the shielding list by not making an appt before lockdown to start steroids. I take immunosuppressants for arthritis. Everything that I've read suggests that actually immunosuppressants may be helpful in severe cases of the virus. Although my immune system is all over the place as my arthritis isn't that well controlled at the moment, I'm not being particularly careful. I go to the supermarket, go out for walks/to the park, have taken taxis, had people in our flat to do work, been to socially distanced meet ups with family etc. I wash my hands when I come in from somewhere (and a million times a day as I have a 10 month old who is weaning) but that's the only precaution I take. I only wear a face covering when I have to.

[Deelish75]

www.spectator.co.uk/article/this-study-from-iceland-suggests-reopening-schools-is-safe

I believe this is one of the latest studies from Iceland. They found no evidence of children passing it on to their parents from test, track and trace. Also I believe there have been similar studies Taiwan and South Korea, and again they've found no evidence.

I'm not saying that children DON'T transmit just that there is no evidence found.

[Samster45]

I’m in the moderate risk and nhs. I had PE’s a few year ago spontaneously and one was in an end artery so part of my lung died off. I’m on blood thinners for life.
I was redeployed away from patient facing roles at the height. I’m still not allowed back yet. My daughter is mixing at school and we are going shopping or out for walks. I still need to go to work even though I’m not in direct contact with patients but obviously I am still mixing with colleagues. My manager is wanting me back seeing patients but can’t put me back until the government says so, but I don’t understand how they can keep me hired doing a job they don’t need doing when my job is actually really needed, so I’m more worried about my job.

The problem is it’s here to stay and there’s no telling if a vaccine may work. It’s now circulating in lower numbers so probably the same risk for me as catching flu would be I expect in a bad flu season. I’m as careful as I can be and I followed all the rules during lockdown but now is the opportunity to get out and about safely before winter flu season kicks off and we are coping with flu and potentially a resurgence in Covid and I’m stuck in the house or in a more dangerous world again.

I’m going on the theory that on average in the U.K. there are 5 deaths per day in my age group from road traffic accidents. Looking at the data there are 2 deaths per day on average for my age group from Covid; so for my age, regardless of my risk status, I’m more than twice as likely to be hit by a car on the way to work than die from Covid.

[Piggywaspushed]

That Spectator link is accidentally amusing as It is the very article the RCPCH is producing a statement on ( I quoted it above) !

The Spectator is massively biased in all this. It is, after all, Mrs Cummings' paper. I found a balanced article which looks at various bits of evidence :

www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-kids-inflammation-transmission-schools-2020-5?r=US&IR=T

I shall say no more on this as don't want to derail.

I understand all the anxiety about being in the moderate risk group. I feel it is a very overlooked group. Almost feeling our way in the dark.

[DidoLamenting]

@DidoLamentingsimilar to me then, crohns and azathioprine!
Are you meeting people now?

Yes. I've been following the standard rules. I've also been in the office a few times throughout lockdown. I've been working from home but there was some stuff which was impossible to do without office access. Sometimes I've been the only person in, sometimes there have been a few others. We just kept our distance.

[DidoLamenting]

mynameiscalypso apart from the 10 month old and my issue being Crohn's rather than arthritis, you could be me.