Thread 4 Shielding chat

[Egghead68]

Thought I’d set this up as we don’t seem to have one. Please delete if we do and I’ve missed it.

Hello everyone! I've been reading the thread but just don't seem to get round to writing the comments I think in my head

@towga I am so pleased that you are no longer being made redundant.

I am getting nervous about the letter situation too as I'm sure I will be expected back in school on Monday should no update be received. I have had my first vaccine dose but I'm still a bit anxious going forward. I get so cross that we are always an afterthought and I'm annoyed at the level of unecessary added anxiety it brings every time! I'm a planner and the fact that I can't make a plan is very stressful to me

A big virtual hug to all of you having a hard time. I agree that for some reason this lockdown has felt so much worse. Maybe it's the weather or just the fact that things have gone on for so long but it does feel like a big slog.

Thanks @Teaistheanswer I know, I'm starting to get slightly worried now, as while I would love to go back to work- I feel like baby is my priority and at 23 weeks I'm starting to get to the more riskier stage! I will be messaging my boss on Saturday/Sunday if i haven't heard anything!

Wow that time is whizzing on @towga! 23 weeks!

I know what you mean. I am fully expecting the dreaded headteacher email (or worse still phonecall!) To 'discuss' the latest guidance (or lack of) which usually just sends me on an anxiety filed guilt trip despite the fact that I've have been working at home the whole time I've been shielding!

So it looks like shielding is being extended until the end of March. Seems sensible to me. Interesting they more people are being asked to shield. I'd love to hear the science of this from Chris Whitty. I have a intellectual thing about him

@FlatteredRhubardFool where have you seen this?

It comes from an article in today’s Guardian I think.

I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. I am double vaccinated, have already had covid (caught mid March 2020) and had long covid but no severe symptoms and haven’t seen my elderly parents since 2019. I think I’m going to take a taxi to see them when lockdown ends (double-masked, with my head hanging out of the window) even if we are still officially shielding.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/16/covid-almost-2m-more-people-asked-shield-england

Sorry, I meant to post the link and forgot

I’ve just had my email to say shielding’s been extended to the 31st, which prompted me to trot along here...

@TOWGA I’m relieved things are now sorted with your work: glad you’d not to drag them to a tribunal or similar to sort it out.

(Alt-Text for image [a screenshot from said email] should anyone require it:

We are writing to you as you have previously been identified as someone thought to be clinically extremely vulnerable and at high risk of becoming very unwell if you catch COVID-19. We wrote to you last month advising you to follow shielding guidance until 21 February.

We are now extending that guidance and advising you to shield until 31 March 2021. We will write to you again in mid-March with further advice.

Whilst the national lockdown has been effective and cases of COVID-19 are now falling, the levels of infection in the community remain high and the virus continues to pose a high risk to people across the country. The risk remains particularly high for those considered clinically extremely vulnerable.)

(Oh & as before that includes those who’ve had both doses vaccine.)

Thanks all, I have my shielding email just come through!

Me too.

Maybe now a huge proportion of the adult population are shielding (4million - is that 10%ish of adults?) we will get more prominence in press briefings.

Thanks everyone! Just got my email too.

@egghead68 about time we all get remembered and not left to feel like an afterthought!

I’m not entirely sure what role people think Asthma UK have in policy-making in this country; but they’re taking another battering on social media over this - all these people blatantly queue-jumping the deserving asthmatics - & the ongoing lack of clarity WRT exactly what sort of asthma will get you into Group 6. Short an actual coup, they’re really doing all they can the poor sods...

It sounds like the government have really messed up over asthma (apart from those of us “lucky” enough to be in group 4).

I have my email too. I'm glad shielding has been extended as the figures are still far too high. I wonder what they will decide about schools? Interesting that the letter says they will issue further advice mid March. This letter is worded slightly differently I noticed. Something about being careful with walks/exercise.

@Egghead68
I mean, to be fair asthma’s a nightmare to navigate: trying to blanket-calculate who should fall into which groups (because realistically it should be splitting people between groups not trying to sling them all in one) is a hellacious idea. It’s not just the combinations of drugs & the doses thereof; it’s what exacerbates each individual’s asthma most; their history since diagnosis (honestly, if this were happening when I was in my early twenties I’d be a wreck because I was in & out of hospital so much whereas now things are just so much more settled); are there other things - eg comorbid conditions, history of smoking, weight - that increase their risk profile; & crucially, how compliant are they with treatment?
I don’t blame people in the slightest for being frustrated by the lack of clarity; but people acting as if someone’s shoved them out of the chair at the vaccination hub as the needle was about to go into their arm & Asthma UK, witnessing this, at best shrugged or in some tellings helped boot them out of the building into the snow...
Asthma UK absolutely & massively stuffed up when they put out that thing before shielding was announced about which medications meant you’d be on the list. And writing their mask guidance such that it read as “if you have asthma don’t wear a mask” rather than “if you are one of the vanishingly small number of people with asthma who cannot safely wear a face mask, you are of course exempt from doing so” was another doozy. But at least they’ve tried & are still trying - & of course they make sure they work WITH Lung UK on stuff. The Westminster government don’t like thinking about asthma though, because people WILL keep bringing up the prescription charge issue...

@FlatteredRhubardFool
They said in December that we were to expect to stay shielding (even after both doses vaccination) for some time as couldn’t be sure how effective it would be, or something like that? I’d guess they’d want v low numbers before letting us out to play. TBH I mostly skimmed it - I’m not allowed out for walks until I get my second dose & it’s had its kicking-in time so advice about it doesn’t (yet!) matter to me. Can’t wait for [socially-distanced] Pooh Sticks in the park with my friend & her now year old...

That should be “now one year old” at the end there

I’ve had the extension email as well.
DH is more downhearted than I am not sure why.
IF all adults will have had their second dose by August I’m wondering whether we’ll have to wait 11 weeks or not

Hey girls just dropping in to catch up. Here in NI lockdown has has been extended until April 1st. However children in nursery and years 1 , 2 and 3 will be back in school with no mitigations on March 8th. To say I am disappointed is an understatement and I made the mistake of posting on Twitter and received a barrage of abuse because I stated that my kids will not be back at school under these circumstances as I am shielding and have not had my first vaccine yet. Some of the responses included boo hoo and and watch out for this one's child who will still be playing with Play-Doh at 18!
Honestly no one gets it so I came on here to you because you all understand - we are a very elite club!

Sorry you had to put up with that @Outnumberedwoman.

Thanks @Egghead68. Since I last posted more new has filtered out from Stormont. Apparently the children that will be back on 8th of March are only back for 2 weeks face-to-face teaching. On the last week of term before Easter so the week beginning 22nd March the kids are back to home learning and year's 12 13 and 14 will be in school for one week before the holidays. This makes no sense to me. I have followed all the rules for a year now to keep our family safe and it angers me that I have to risk that that for the sake of two weeks in school teaching when we will be going back to home learning anyway before the Easter holidays. From what I can gather how many families are in the same situation and lots of questions remain unanswered so there is a great deal of uncertainty and at the minute many parents as far as I can see are not going to send their children back for two weeks.

Oh @Outnumberedwoman pet, I’m so sorry. Eejits is much too kind a word for people like that - it’s a dreadful thing to be so cruel to (& about, where it reflects on your DS1) someone like that. I know everyone’s feeling the strain of lockdown, but there’s no excuse for being so vicious. (Are they in a froth over not getting a mid-term break? Can’t exactly count the weekend, after all...)

I hope you get your jab soon... my daddy’s cousin & her husband (who live in Lisburn) who were shielding as well as being rather older than your good self were still waiting a couple of weeks ago. I’ll hold my thumbs for you.

Joining and place marking!

I'm wondering what the announcement from Monday means for all us that are shielding?!