Shielding chat continues - thread 2

[AuntieSocia1]

Shiny new thread for anyone shielding.

You can vent/moan/cry/chat/lurk whatever you need.

The above comment was to @outnumberedwoman and @planningaheadtoday regarding their school concerns.

@ElizabethMainwaring thank you for that. I feel like im walking a tightrope at the minute so thats one less thing to worry about. I am enjoying homeschooling my oldest. We are doing lots of play therapy with the youngest as thats what he needs with his additional needs. I was worried about them falling behind particularly the eldest but if anything i think having one to one every day has worked out well and his understanding and knowledge bank have both been maintained and built upon iyswim. Might be a different case if they were older though. Not sure i would be any good with alevel that wasnt my own subject areas! And even what i did study was so long ago it might not be much good either!

My DC without health issues won't be going to school, DS's consultant sent out a letter expressing that unless one parent could take DS to shield in a different property all together we must ALL shield, including from work and school so that's what we're doing.

Just marking my place on the new thread as I've got nothing of interest to say at the moment!

@outnumberedwoman @ElizabethMainwaring

Than you for your thoughts. My feeling is I cannot maintain safety if all three children head off on public transport in different directions to schools.

My feeling is how on earth is it safe for children to return when we have one of the highest death rates in the world?

That universities are postponing return until at least next February possible next September.

Schools are the most unsuitable places anyway with narrow corridors and shared toilets. Throw in the lack of understanding for social distancing and hygiene it's a recipe for disaster.

Part of my job in a previous life was in risk assessment, so I'm quite sharp at thinking through risk.

The only way schools can work is with a risk assessed class room.

Taped floors,
masks worn,
Fomites removed.
porta toilet for each room so no one leaves.
Mobile Hand washing facilities & regular washing
Sanitisation of area
Going in and out via an external class door so no connection with the main school at all.
Personal books not shared.
Designated outdoor space for each bubble.

Children must be able to walk to school or ride a bike, sharing transport is a no go.

This combined with class reduction to enable 2 meters at all times and all windows open.

It could work with extra money for facilities and teachers. But I fear it's much like the NHS and has been so depleted in resources over the last decade there won't be anything in the pot. The head teachers will have to magically summon up funds.

Ideally all the lessons for secondary ages children could be easily done in a virtual group classroom. My daughter has this provision anyway and there is simply no need to put any secondary school child at risk.

Part of me hopes the government will see sense and implement better guidelines for September. But the whole thing has been a bumbling fiasco. Lockdown needed to be in February. Air traffic needed to be severely limited and quarantine imposed on reentry into UK.

I looked at flats last night to rent and it's possible but tight. I'm going to look into a 6 month let and take my SN daughter with me. She's had a school place all this time but obviously hadn't been going. Her provision through her EHCP has been adequate and is continuing remotely.

I just don't trust this government to do what's right. It's too concerned with how they look rather than what's right. Maybe we could borrow New Zealand's lead for a few months?!

I can say with certainty, my 2DSs won't be returning until I feel that they should. If I have to take them out, lose their places and homeschool til secondary, I will. Luckily they're fairly good at homeschooling, I've been glad to find out - I'd always wanted to homeschool but thought my health problems would be too much of a problem. They're year 3 and 4 now, so can work by themselves. We're in wales too though, so not due to go back any time soon.

My plan if I now get taken off shielding - having only officially been put on it a few weeks back (letter never arrived, spoke to dr on an unrelated issue who was shocked I hadn't had one and sorted it out) - is to carry on the same. I was shielding before being put on the list, and will continue to if I'm taken off it. Luckily I don't have to worry about an employer, which I can understand makes a big difference.

The DSs went to see my parents yesterday. They're also shielding, so safe enough for my heightened risk anxiety. They have been stuck in these four walls since I took them out of school before the schools shut, I regret nothing.

Morning All, still plodding along here. The texts were quite shocking weren't they (I think my last post on the chat was a heads up to check with Drs if you received one)

I'm a little against the grain here, I'm hoping I do get removed from the list as they learn more but it will take a good while to even begin to adapt back to the level of life others are now able to outside the house. I'm not having to face the situation with work though as I work for myself so I can control that, I imagine that plays a huge part in people worries.

Unfortunately I feel that being spleen free might not be removed if reports are true that its secondary infection and blood clotting issues that are a big concern if you are affected badly as these are our areas of high risk.

I am planning on emailing my local MP, I think the confusion, lack of information and lack of acknowledgment is a huge let down and it would be nice to see that addressed. I worry for people who are in more vulnerable personal situations who are not receiving the help and support they should be and it makes me so angry.

Today I am doing some more work in the garden, I have a garden of 3 thirds, a patio which is finished to a degree with seats and bits, its taken over ten years but this is the first year its been useable outside at all. One third is overgrown, wild and full of old trees, thats going to have a tidy up to look a bit smarter but after 12 years I have finally beaten the brambles! The bit I am working on today will be patio one day when I can afford it but for now its a mix of grass, nettles and bare patches - completely uneven and looks terrible. I need too dig up the nettles, level it up a bit and add a bit of top soil ready for grass (bird) seed.

I've got some plants being delivered later, its so weird, I've never been a gardener but its what is keeping me sane now.

I don't feel forgotten. I feel that they dont quite know what to do. And I feel ok about that. Because I have some safety with food/work evidence just now.

But I feel crazily pissed off they they can just drop people and say nah now you're fine without explaining to us why. As if they think we are going to accept that. I believe nothing they say after week of lying and mistrust.

I'm not sure a big enough sample side of severe/brittle asthmatics have coughy covid for then to announce its dandy for them to get it. So even if they say well "not very many of them have died from it" I'm not sure what that's based on as any even "mild" asthmatic I know has been exceptionally careful and has tried not to go out.

I keep seeing people on twitter saying "oh good I want to be allowed to go out"...no one has ever stopped anyone shielding from going out. It's purely advice.

If they downgrade and stop the support boxes due to the fact supermarkets have more slots etc but still offer protection for not returning to face to face work then I can understand that but not quite sure what the hell they are thinking/planning.

Checking in to shiny new thread!

I didn’t see the end of the previous one, so I hope I’m not rehashing posts there

But I read the Guardian article as referring to people who should not have ever been on the shielding list, not removing any conditions from it. I thought most of the people affected were those whose cancers made them vulnerable but not exceptionally vulnerable (for not all cancers are on the shield list; but because many are, it is all too easy to generate a letter for everyone with any form of cancer)

But it must be very unnerving to have wrapped your mind round the idea of going behind a shield, and then realise you could be merely locked down - mixture of feeling exposed and cross I guess?

@Redcherries Have you seen the report issued by the British Haematology Society from May 6th regarding splenectomies and Covid? Their findings were that some people without spleens don’t need to shield. Someone who has the same condition as me and my son (her son also has it and both are spleenless) contacted me about it through a Facebook shielding group, she’d spoken to her son’s consultant two weeks ago and he agreed with the report.

"I'm not sure a big enough sample side of severe/brittle asthmatics have coughy covid for then to announce its dandy for them to get it"

That was exactly my face issue when told that it was fine for people with EDS back at the beginning of the outbreak. EDS is relatively rarely diagnosed, in some areas even more rarely diagnosed than others. How the hell could official EDS charities post on social media that it is no more serious for those with EDS than gen pop?! It's entirely possible that at the time they said that, not one person diagnosed with EDS had caught it!

@MadisonAvenue. I have seen it, but I’d rather have information from more than one source due to the risk of secondary infection and blood clotting, as these are risks all splenectomy patients have. It is reassuring though! I can never decide whether to bother the drs with questions 😳 There’s so many reports, mistakes etc. Opsi is my main concern. Maybe I’ll give them a call.

It really does get harder and harder to trust any advice.

Don't want to gate crash, as it is my 84 year old Dad, not me, who is on the shielding list. He cares for my 85 year old mum who has dementia. I found last night that he was still working to the 'release date' in his letter of 15 June, and had to break it to him that the web date is now 30th, but no particular prospect of any change then. In the circumstances, they obviously can't shield from each other, but that's fine, and they have actually been going for a walk round the block for a couple of weeks,, and now a drive with a flask of coffee most days. They have not met anyone or touched anything outside during these, and Dad is operating a strict quarantining and cleaning of post and deliveries. But they are both struggling. Since the Saturday after lockdown ( when I had to go to the postofgice to send them toilet rolls), I have also been completely self-isolated. I live alone and am working from home with everything delivered, daily walks in complete isolation (live rurally). I am considering going to see them to plant some bedding plants in their garden and generally break the monotony, although never entering the house or being within 2m of them. My mum is also obsessing about her hair, and I have even wondered about trimming it for her as I must be as Covid-free as they are. If you were my parents what would you think? (PS. No toilet issues! I have a cast iron bladder and frequently go without for 7 hours while at work, which gives a very comfortable margin on a possible visit).

Argggghh haven't had a text but my disease is very rare - GP generally pretty useless with me but I'm "stable" enough not to be under a consultant of which there's only 2 in the country ... work so far have been great but any mix up might see me having to go back!

planningaheadtoday with complete respect, this is absolutely over the top and not reasonable or feasible.

@Scarby9 not gate crashing :) I would give them a call and ask if they would like that, I know I would like it :) My best friend is dropping plants to me later and we'll have a distanced chat. Just those little moments are a good mental health boost. Not sure about the trim though, sorry, for me at the moment having someone that close would worry me but I don't know anyone else other than those who live with me that have isolated like you have.

@Methtones I know it's not practical or responsible, but it's safer, I think that's my point. And no, I don't think it can be achieved.

The reality is that we will have a mixture of precautions and of muddling through, teachers will do their very best to minimise risk.

I do think that it's madness not to look into other ways of educating children until a safe solution can be found. There are other ways forward, and putting children into confined spaces for periods of time (including the bus ride in) isn't the smartest move with regards to infection control.

In the short term this summer it may be possible to educate outdoors safely, but this virus is likely to be a problem for an extended period of time.

Nicola Sturgeon recognised the easing of lockdown would be difficult for those shielding and said they were reviewing the shielding advice on an individual basis and more advice would come in the next couple of weeks. She said you have not been forgotten about.

I felt close to tears. It was good to be acknowledged.

I know we are all in different parts of the UK but hopefully this will prompt more recognition in general

I hope iot does auntiSocia1 all i want is some recognition, some idea of what i can expect to happen to me over the coming months. its all well and good people saying that everythings been shut down for US but they dont get the fact that if WE were swarming the NHS needing treatment, there'd be no space for THEM so we are making a huge sacrifice IMHO. Not being able to even go out the front door for months on end is a big ask of anyone and the not knowing whether it continues or not or if we get some scrap of freedom is hard, very hard

AuntieSocia1 I felt the same - I had written to my MP about the issue so was happy to hear I'm obviously not the only one!

@OneNightTimeMenaceStrikesBack. They really don't get that it isn't just to protect us do they, its equally if not more to protect the NHS and prevent additional deaths through inability to get treatment across the general population (for cover or not) which would further impact the economy and potentially force additional harder longer lockdowns for everyone.

they really dont redcherries its not just about us, the lockdown was to protect EVERYONE and minimize transmition for everyone, not just those of us sheilding. Theres a reason every single one of us is more vulnerable but we are still making a huge sacrifice for the geenral population. they dont get how hard it is to have your entire life on hold, not even be able to pop to the shop because you need soemthing, how hard it is to have to rely on other people for everything you need or want. Im sick of seeing people saying we have it easy when we really dont. I havent seen my son since march, i havent been able to spend his 16th birthday with him, i cant see him or hug for who knows how long and im devastated about it. dont tell me im not suffering or sacrificing just because bloody primark isnt open

Ooh - shielding got a mention in the daily lies I mean briefing.

BJ wants to thank us for our efforts and is looking at ways to make our lives easier. More to follow he says...

I read the guardian article to mean that some people who GPs felt no longer needed to shield would be taken off the list rather than a blanket removal of certain conditions. But either way a text is an awful way to find out about it.

I'm in Wales so we haven't even really started to relax lockdown yet. There's a statement tomorrow. Although I think it would be nice for other people to be able to meet up and stuff I think I am really going to feel miserable if they do start to relax things. At least at the moment we're kind of all in it together (apart from going into shops etc).

Meeting in work discussed re-opening our office. Again I felt a bit miserable because currently everyone is working from home so I don't feel any different, but it will feel a bit rubbish if everyone else is planning returning to the office but I can't.

Watching the Daily Blart now and the mention of the shielding group (when everyone else get to play out) has juts broken my heart a bit more.

I know they can't do much about us. Doesn't help

Oooh a shielding question. Good,