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!

Ooh - did you see the question asked about us in today’s Downing St press briefing? Unfortunately the answer was some waffle about Florence Nightingale, the need to keep things under review and “understanding that it’s hard for us not to be able to see our families”. I might try to do a full transcript and post it here later.

@walnut87 congratulations on your new baby! At her age, a bit of fresh air, milk and parental love and interaction will be more than enough, I know it’s worrying and you want the best for her but you are giving her the best in a tough situation, go easy on yourself x. Welcome to the group, not the one we want to be in but this is a lovely thread.

@egghead68 it was more waffle about Florence and nurses (who I have massive respect for) than it was an attempt to answer the question or give anything other than the standard stay protected. They have no clue what to do with us now they’ve asked us all to stay at home do they?

DH (the shielder in our family) went for his usual renal checkup today. It wasn't his usual consultant but he was happy that DH was going for daily walks. He's lost some weight from doing so and it's good for his mental health but it was nice that it was green lighted as I'm fully aware that the guidance is not to so it has made me feel uneasy when he has gone out.

I know so many of you on this thread are struggling having to stay in for so long and I hope in turn that there is some sort of sensible guidance given on a case by case basis for households affected by shielding based on individual medical grounds. This blanket arrangement is so tough.

DH is self employed, we've got a 9 yo and 14 yo and I can work from home but there's a real mix what to do for the best in the long term, health wise and keeping us afloat financially.

I emailed both my MP and my local county councillor this morning. The councillor had rung me wihin two hours and we had a long and useful discussion on what was promised, what was actually happening and what would make it better. She is going to forward my email to people with responsibility for communities (locally) and will be pressing the MP (not the world's most useful; person) too. I mentioned this thread and said that common issues were coming up for all of us. She has a shielding daughter and has heard the same from her too so is on the ball.

Congratulations @walnut87. Not in your position but second what @Redcherries said. :-)

walnut congratulations on your baby. And all she needs is you! (You might need some adult conversation sometimes. but don't worry about your little one!)

So 8 weeks after starting to shield under dr instruction I have had an email from my local council asking if I need help with food or medicine. It’s good to see but I really worry about people who aren’t online and able to get the help they’ve needed waiting for support for however long.

@FuzzyPuffling wondering if you’re in my area with the sudden email appearing, coincidental 😂

redcherries we've had diddly squat from the council. Def not us vetting an email. It was me sending the emails out!

(I'm in Cornwall)

That Downing Street Press Briefing Question in full (in several posts - sorry it’s long):

Q from Alan in Newcastle: After already surviving intensive care and ventilation from covid-19 I ask what plans do the government have for clinically vulnerable members of the population once the 12 shielding weeks have ended on 15 June?

Alok Sharma Business Secretary: I think that the first thing to say is that we need to do everything we can to support individuals and we have set out the measures that we require for people who are shielding and indeed in the workplace guidance we have produced we have also looked at vulnerable groups. But I wonder whether Stephen you might want to take this question on further?

Professor Stephen Powis, Medical Director NHS England: yes well the first thing to say is how pleased I am Alan that you have fortunately you appear to have caught covid 19 but you have got through hospital and through intensive care and ventilation and I am sure you will be grateful to all the NHS staff who managed you through that illness and I think it’s particularly important to recognise their contribution especially today because today is the International Day of the Nurse, it’s the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale and I think it’s a really important day for us to recognise all the work our nursing colleagues have done to manage you and all the patients who’ve come through our NHS facilities needing care because they have caught covid-19. I am sure you would want to say that. In terms of going forward, as you know we have asked the particular groups in our population who are at highest risk from coronavirus so that in particular those with conditions that put them at risk so those with cancer, people with organ transplants because they have drugs to suppress their immune system, people with severe lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis so that group that we are shielding and have asked for 12 weeks to stay at home and avoid all possible contact I think it’s been really important that during the first... the peak of this virus in April that we have protected those particularly vulnerable members of the population. We will need to continue doing that as we get through the next few weeks. I think that clearly that will need to be kept under review but I think it’s really important to say that we are not through this yet. The virus is still circulating, it is reducing in the population, the R number is below 1 and we intend to keep it that way but while it is in the community clearly those at highest risk are still vulnerable and I think we would all want to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to protect them. So it’s very difficult to predict what will happen over the next few months but I think the key thing is that while the virus is still circulating we all have a duty to ensure we do all we can to keep those at highest risk safe from this virus.

Alok Sharma Business Secretary: Great and just to add Alan I know it will be very difficult for very many people who are being shielded who are not able to see members of their family. It is difficult but this is about protecting them and this is ultimately about saving lives.

Unbelievable waffle, no mention made that it is now the end of June not June 15th and no facts except a hint we will have to stay shielded until the virus is no longer in circulation.

WAAAAHHHH.... You have not protected us, you have abandoned us. We have saved the NHS a load of trouble by bei.ng lovely compliant, thoughtful people and stayed in. You have done the sum of absolutely nothing bar a box of shit, student food once a week.

As my old dad used to say "God help the poor and needy!"

abandoned is the right word. Im tired of this, im so tired.

What do you mean, "abandoned" ? What is supposed to happen? The virus is still here.

FuzzyPuffling, the govt box is FREE and quite generous, imo. You should just have a think about it, moaning like that. I am humbled that I was delivered a large box of food by a human being . I am grateful for all the help I've been given.

We are just having to stay in. Yes, it's miserable. But it's miserable for anyone who has had their life turned upside down.

What do shielded people want? I know I want everything to return to normal, just like anyone. When people demand, "what's the government doing for us?" and complain about shielding, well, you don't have to shield. It's not an order. It's advice because of our vulnerability. Would you be happy if your shielding status were lifted?

I got a pasting when I posted before, but I really despair of moaning minnies. It's a crap situation, but my worry is for my dcs and their futures, not whining about the contents of a FREE box of food, fgs.

Thanks everyone :) I think it’s the indefinite nature of it all that’s so worrying & I’m finding hard to cope with. My partner is shielding with us and working from home but how long smaller employers will be tolerant of this is the worry. Anyway, sorry, gloomy after the silly announcement... I may join you all and email my councillor/MP. X

On another note is anyone else finding it hard to sustain real conversations now!? Think I’ve forgotten how. Sure the baby isn’t helping!!

Congratulations on your baby @Walnut87.

And, the pharmacy will deliver medicine. You can get priority supermarket slots by registering. There are local groups willing to help. If you can go on MN, you can look at your local council website and access assistance.

What do we do when our dcs have to go back to school? I don't know. But it's not anyone's problem other than our own. It's our decision to make. How can anyone solve it? No one can spirit the virus away with the click of a finger. Children of shielding parents may stay away from school, I understand, and that's ok in the short term. But long-term, what do you want? There IS no solution, other than separating the family.

@IrmaFayLear for me personally more acknowledgement and info as it arrives. It's hard because I guess nobody knows but if they said "it is probably going to be extended but people shielding will receive further texts/letters as we know more"

Ability to be kept on furlough - I'm going to be WFH eventually but my job is shit to do from home. It's 8.5hrs tied (literally with a headset wire!) to a laptop. I would happily accept the 80% rather than having to buy a desk and chair - that's also why I wanted to know if it will be extended, so I can buy stuff for WFH

I live alone so no DC to worry about but I worry eventually I will get very distressed with no human contact and contemplated if 2 people who are shielding completely and alone met up inside one of their houses, would that be an issue? Again more info

I'm not complaining much and I'm fed up of people who can go out for walks and shopping complaining but I am a little... jaded? It's a long time to not see anyone face to face

Whelp, in 8 weeks I’ve had none of those services offered until tonight. I had to call Tesco to ask for priority, lots of people aren’t aware they can do that and some have still been rejected.

If we want to moan here about how we feel we bloody well can. No one has to agree, but no ones feelings during this are wrong. It’s a bloody support thread.

@walnut87 you don't need to say sorry, this thread (as I understand it) is a place to chat and also to grumble/shout/complain...we know that what we are saying isn't always rational, and we know that shielding is in our best interest at the moment...but that doesn't mean we aren't allowed to have a moan and this is a good place to do it. Don't feel you can't do so.

@IrmaFayLear I do understand that there is no easy answer - for the government or indeed for any of us. And I also agree with you that we will have to take decisions for ourselves at some point, as of course will everyone. Being more nuanced and weighing up our individual and unique risk factors will become increasingly important I think. What I do object to are patronising suggestions in the letter/texts telling me to 'open a window a crack and have I thought about doing some sudoku or maybe reading a book?' This sort of thing perpetuates stereotypes about us, deep set ideas that we are not up to doing very much and also lumps us all together in one pretty feeble whole, which is unhelpful in itself.

What @ClientQ said. I’d also like them to look again at the shielding list and check that everyone actually needs to be on it. For example I’ve got/had Covid now and did not need to be hospitalised (although it has been very unpleasant). Does that mean I can now come off the shielding list? What about people on immunosuppressive drugs, which might actually be beneficial if they catch covid - can they come off? People with no spleen (which is important for bacterial but not viral infections) - can they come off? And should some others be put on (e.g. overweight men over 50)?

@Redcherries yes! You said it better than I did.

Also to add that I can't get anywhere with priority deliver from supermarkets, despite being on the list (supposedly). I've phoned, emailed, approached them on social media - still nothing.