Chat for those who are shielding

[AuntieSocia1]

Apologies for the very unsnazzy title but as it suggests a place to chat for those who have to shield at the moment. A few of us have been talking on the the Shielding after lockdown thread in the coronavirus topic.

Thought I'd put this in chat as some days I'm guessing we'll want to chat about anything other than coronavirus!

I know all of our circumstances are quite different as well as the reason we need to shield but it's a pretty big thing to have in common. Despite my username I look forward to interacting with you and as my username suggests I might also slink off from time to time!

On Radio 4 last night we got one sentence..."nothing has changed for the shielding group" .
So "Stay in and Shut up". As you were.

We have decided to stay going for walks again. We live very rurally and our reducing fitness and mental health is more of as issue than the chance of meeting someone. Friends who do go out say they meet very few people and all are most respectful of keeping distance.

@FuzzyPuffling I'm also going for a walk today. I live rurally too which makes it much easier, but I really feel for people who live in built up areas and can't even sneak out for a quick walk without the fear of coming into contact with people.

I was going for blood tests this morning. Makeup and proper clothes on
My car "LOL, no"
Flat battery after only 12 days

I go for walks too. I spoke to my doctor about it and he agreed, I honestly think it's fine. Just don't touch anything and cross the road if we do see anyone coming. This 'you can open the window a bit' is just ridiculous.

Eep ClientQ - were you able to get someone out? (For the car &/or you?) What a complete PITA.

The RAC are coming out but they can't do my bloods now. I can go Thursday but it's not a shielding clinic like today was

@ClientQ would your district nurses or phlebotomist dept be doing home visits? I know our local trust are offering this to shielding people who have regular tests.

Well what a shitshow the "announcement" was. I cannot understand why they do this without releasing the actual guidance first, or at least simultaneously. Obviously half of it is meaningless anyway as it's so confused and contradictory but it's also meaningless as they're saying when stuff will happen but not how.

Also the lack of even acknowledgement of shielded group was saddening. I realise we are a minority but it's so hard for us and we have so much uncertainty as do our households.

I'm really struggling with not seeing my parents at the moment, we live very near each other and normally see each other most days as I usually do bits of shopping etc for them. Also my DCs also do this and they really really miss each other.

It's so hard, it all seems to stretch out in front of me without anything to "look forward" to. Every day is the same and very long. I'm sure you all feel the same, does anyone have any ideas of how to have things to "look forward" to?

@Sorryoo nope, no home visits

I’m really annoyed that there was no mention of the shielding last night. Muddled, no clarifications, a broad ‘travel to exercise’ which clearly took National parks and the police by surprise.

@ClientQ can you wait till the next shielding clinic or at least be the first appointment of the day?

@OrganTransplant123 unfortunately not. I've got a fairly early one (8.45)
The shielding ones are once a week and the normal ones you can't choose a time. I have a v s short window to get the bloods done as they need to be done by the 19th (results back by then) but no earlier than today as they need my neutrophil count post injection

ClientQ
V glad that RAC are coming out at least, but how frustrating re: bloods. Hope it all goes ok on Thursday.

Sorryoo
Are you in a position to be able to plan a trip or even just a party once you’re able to see people again? Pinterest board it - let other people help if they’d want to/if that’d cheer you up? Even if you reinvent it a load of times before it happens it might help? Can you manage to speak to your parents every day? Have they Zoom (or whichever video conferencing format you fancy) set up at all? Not the same as seeing them in person, I know, but might help a wee bit? I’d quite like someone to hurry up & invent affordable VR tech so we can while away our time in places of our choosing. I‘ve a powerful imagination, but even so I can’t escape to anywhere for very long with it

I don’t know whether this is useful to post but the latest statistics regarding which severe underlying conditions are associated with ICU admission for Covid are:
Immunocompromise (3.1% of ICU covid cases) renal (1.6%) blood cancers (1.5%) respiratory (0.8%) cardiovascular disease (0.4%) metastatic cancer (0.4%) liver (0.3%). The source is the ICNARC report dated 8th May.
This suggests to me that they will need to rejig the shielding categories (at least to include renal problems if they are not there already).

I wrote to my MSP and he replied offering to speak to my employer about furloughing me. That wasnt my point!

I’m also a bit miffed there wasn’t a single mention of 1.5 million shielded people. We aren’t an other category of human. Many of us work, have families and lives.

But we are not important to the politicians as we are not that many votes.

Has anyone else had a second shielding letter more recently increasing the amount of time they have to shield? I recently received a second letter telling me to shield for a further twelve weeks from the date of the letter.

No no communications since sudoku type text early april I think.

Vellichor are you able to share that? I got a second one but it wasnt telling me to shield a further 12 weeks, it was referring to the first date. The guidance hasnt been updated yet.

Please please if you feel forgotten write to your MP. It's the only thing we can do.

@Vellichor
I recently received a second letter telling me to shield for a further twelve weeks from the date of the letter.
Did it actually say for a further 12 weeks or did it say -12 weeks from the date of this letter?
If it the latter all that means is you have letters from two different sources as many people have, one arriving much later than the other.

Ah I am immunocompromised and renal, exciting times!

Hello, I am at hospital having treatment at the moment so can’t check actual wording but believe it said to shield/stay home for twelve weeks from today (as in it used the word ‘today’ meaning the day I got the letter, not actually today..). My first letter gave a date in June to shield until rather than mentioning twelve weeks. Both letters appear to have come from same place/address (Scottish Government).

Are people who are shielding generally doing so for 12 weeks but starting and ending on different dates depending on when they receive the letter?

Just seen this on the BBC News page, re the document released today

Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be told to continue to shield beyond June.

I got a second letter from my consultant and it was virtually the same as the original NHS letter but the ‘stay at home for 12 weeks’ paragraph was missing.

I did read somewhere or heard on the news (not from a fb ‘expert’) but can’t quite remember where now, that the 12 wks runs from 26/3/2020 regardless of the date on your letter?!

Me too @MadisonAvenue not surprised at all but sad.

The wording is ‘the clinically extremely vulnerable cohort will continue to be advised to shield themselves for some time yet..’. Then something about additional help but no details are given.