The shielded are being told to stay home for another twelve weeks after the initial twelve weeks....AIBU to think this is going to increase the gap between disabled and non disabled?

[AlternativePerspective]

I know several on the shielded list who have now received additional letters from the government telling them that they are required to shield for an additional twelve weeks after the first twelve week shielding period expires.So that leaves the vulnerable shielding until September at the earliest,and I can only imagine this will increase as time goes on.

Now,in principle I can see why this is the advice,after all with no vaccine or proven treatment yet the vulnerable are still going to be at the greatest risk, but while when everyone was in lockdown everyone had to be taken into account re work etc,once lockdown starts to ease, employers are rightly going to be expecting people to go back to work,and realistically how is that going to affect someone who is shielded for the foreseeable future? Are employers, who are already looking at lost revenue, going to take that into account?

And people like me who are currently looking for work, does that mean I have to stay unemployed for the foreseeable as well?

I’ve seen a lot of posts on here from people saying that the shielded are selfish if they go out because they know they’re at greater risk so if they choose to go out then they’d be taking up a valuable bed if they get sick.

I can only foresee that this is going to make the divide between the disabled and the non disabled in this country bigger than it already is.

There are many disabled people who aren't vulnerable, just as there are plenty of able-bodied people who are vulnerable.

I don't think it will have a major impact in those terms.

The divide between elderly and not is likely to be greater.

I honestly don't know how we'll cope for an extra 12 weeks like this. My 11 month old is shielding and because I'm his primary carer I have to shield too. We've been shut ins since he was born due to his infection risk before and after his heart surgery. We had 1 week of being able to go out before lockdown started. I've effectively been shielding him since last June when he was born. He has hardly met any of our family or friends. Met no other babies or kids as he's our first. When DH goes back to work as a keyworker, he'll have to isolate from us. Losing the will now.

It's not really about being disabled, many disabled aren't shielding and many of the shielding aren't disabled. It's about people who already have illnesses. It's not like theres an alternative. Everyone staying in lockdown out of solidarity will affect our economy and jobs will be lost. Everyone ending lockdown will result in more lives lost then everyone back into lockdown.

What other option is there though ? There is no cure or vaccine And won’t be for a long time.

We know that certain groups are more vulnerable so have to advise them to protect themselves and whether they choose to take that advice is up to them.

It’s not just disabled people who are being advised to shield. So I’m not sure what your saying is correct.

I agree,but tbh I think that society has the attitude that vulnerable automatically equals housebound,and so having a job is probably not something most people consider when they talk about vulnerable people.

E.g.someone posted a thread the other day about going through cancer treatment while still having to go to work,and pointed out that on most threads the assumption is that people with cancer are at home too ill to function as part of society.

I think this holds true for many other vulnerable people as well.

Go to work then it's no ones fault. The country is going bankrupt.

And there are many disability groups campaigning for the government to classify people with disabilities as vulnerable in order to enable them to not go out.

There will still be jobs available that you could do from home , probably more post Covid than ever before if you really want to work

I haven’t heard this. Have you got a link? I’m having chemo so am meant to be shielding. But with 12-18 months left to live I’ve decided not too spend a large chunk of my life isolated from people.

I was hoping to go back to work as well as I love my job but if the government have announced this I know occupational health won’t allow me too. Ffs

I mean, what would you rather happen? Everyone vulnerable told to go out again, we hit a huge peak, the NHS crumbles, people who would have otherwise recovered can't get the help they need and the death rate goes through the ceiling?

I can't get my head round the number of people complaining about things as though they think this has all been carefully executed by Boris to "widen the gap" between various groups. Its a natural disaster. They always disproportionately impact the vulnerable, be they poor or sick or old or marginalised. That's the way of the world! Surely this isn't news?

Op, do you have a link or screen shot of these letters? I'm shielded until the third week of July at the moment. Another 12 weeks would take me to October.

And tbh this isn’t about criticising the government, but if you’re e.g. looking for work in the current pandemic and a medical is required, how many employers are going to look at that and think “mmm,if things get worse then they’re probably going to have to shield and be out of the picture for long periods of time,” would that make someone want to employ them?

Haven’t got a link yet but know several people who have already had letters,I sent in a question to the briefing yesterday to ask about this, although it obviously might not be picked, but would assume that they’ll outline more details tomorrow...

It's advisory, not binding. It's for you to evaluate your personal risk tolerance and whether you want to go out. Ignore anyone going on about "taking up a valuable bed", they're cunts. Or you can look for a job that can be done virtually. I don't envy your choices, but we genuinely have no alternative. We can't shut society down altogether for any longer to protect the most vulnerable without incurring massively disproportionate harm on those who are minimally threatened by the virus.

@NagevMama just wanted to send good wishes to you and your baby. Your situation sounds like a nightmare. It's so hard being a new mum without all this extra worry and being isolated from your friends and family.

This would be so horrible. I'm thankful that I'm not in that group. But I think the health of many of these people will suffer if they can't go out for 6 months!

No fresh air, not seeing a single person who isn't in their house already, no walks to help mental and physical health, many not able to do their jobs, go to school, poverty and living off charity and the kindness of strangers to bring you everything you need.

And the same for all the people who live with them. Huge impact on the children in these families too.

I think each individual would have to weigh up their own situation and make their own choice.

n carefully executed by Boris to "widen the gap" between various groups. Its a natural disaster.
Ha yes, apparently it is a Tory plan.
I'm not quite 70 . Healthy but smoked for years so not sure how lungs would cope, I might say sod it Im getting on the train to see DGCs as soon as I can. On the other hand I don't want to die yet.
People have to decide for themselves.

@AlternativePerspective ...what sort of work requires a medical!?

Why do you think shielding=disabled?

I am shielding but I'm not disabled. In fact I normally work a full time job to support my family. I will have to go back to work when furlough ends because we will lose our home if I don't earn. Fortunately I'm on full pay or we would already be struggling financially. My employer is very unlikely to pay me to stay at home indefinitely so I can't live life in a bubble until there's vaccine available and nor can many others

Between those who on MN who argued that we were all on death's door in any case so shouldn't be included on the covid stats, those who said that we should be punished for not being compliant with the extreme rules and loose access to trwatment if we caught it, those who say the children in shielded houses should either break the shield or lose their school places and those who declare that nothing should be done to retain their access to employment and we should suck that up for the greater good, at this point, I think we should just call a spade a spade and rename the shielded to the ignored.

Oh bollocks! DH is shielding as a Transplant patient but lost his job before all this kicked off and is on JSA and keeping an eye on the job market though is not really in a position to work.

His JSA runs out in August and I’d hoped he’d be able to actively job search but it doesn’t sound like it. He says he won’t get Universal Credit as I’m working.

In addition as I’m not able to properly socially distance due to my job as an NHS nurse I have to be distanced from him at all times even in the home, he’s been sleeping on a futon in the front room and that to continue until September?

I miss him. We haven’t hugged or kissed in weeks.

I'm shielding but not disabled.

Up until all this, I was very active, running etc. I just happen to have impaired lung function that would leave me at significant risk if I were to get Covid due to the specific nature of the disease.

It's shit facing another 3 months but with having family who still need me, I will just have to manage. I am lucky in that I can continue to work from home.

@floppybit thank you. It's been the toughest year of my life tbh. Seeing your baby nearly die several times, going through open heart surgery and being intubated was awful, but we thought we were through it and out the other side. Then all this happens and it feels like groundhog day. He came close to needing a lung transplant, so I'm sure he would not survive COVID and it's absolutely terrifying. Not to mention that the in laws think they can flout the rules and turn up on our doorstep to see him, then get arsey with us for saying no 🙄. Sorry for the rant, just looking for a bit of an outlet at the moment.

I wonder if, as time goes on and they learn more about this disease and how it affects different peple, that there might be a change into who actually is at severe risk, and who isnt, so that a much smaller number will be asked to shield and they and their families will be given the appropriate support.

I know, given the shambollic handling so far, this is likely a huge ask.

I say this as a parent of a child asked to shield due to Cystic fibrosis. Who has been talking regularly to her team at Kings, one of the big research hospitals, who has been told that its looking as if she actually is at no bigger risk than the rest of the public, given her individual circumstances. I can understand why a chronic lung condition such as CF would make the list for a virus that manifests in the respiratory system, but it doesnt seem to have played out that way - the people with CF worldwide who have had the disease have not ended up on ventilators and have not appeared to be affected in anyway differently to their peer group. Obviously if they are very sick with CF, and have a very low lung function to start with, then this is going to be different, but a well managed condition with a good lung function, well maybe they dont need to be shielded after all.

Im not sure that a blanket 'another 12 weeks' is going to help.

It’s shit, but it’s not anyone’s fault. What could possibly be done to improve matters?

Having none of the ‘shielded’ people back at my work as going to be a nightmare for those of us left. I doubt we can afford to pay to replace them, when they are on full pay, yet the work would still need to be done. Things are going to be difficult for everyone.

My partner just 70 takes no medication, but did have pneumonia 3 years but not been to doctor since. At start of lockdown doctor rang him to ask if he needed inhalers (he didn't) but doctor prescribed them anyway. Yesterday after 7 weeks lockdown he gets text saying he shouldn't go out until 30th June. He only goes out to local shop a couple of times a week. Anyone got any idea why he is being asked to shield now 7 weeks into lockdown when wasn't asked before ?