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.

NagevMama that sounds so hard. I hope you all keep safe.

Oh god I hope not, I can't do another 12 weeks.

I'm shielding but I'm not disabled, just have a chronic illness and on immunosuppressants, putting me in the at risk group. I otherwise work and manage just fine.

I really don’t like the title of this thread.

Not all those with disabilities are shielding

Not all those on the shielding list would identify as disabled. I certainly didn’t, even though all forms of cancer qualify under DDA.

It’s all to easy to write us all off in a lump as decrepit and moribund. No we’re not all going to die anyhow in the next year. Many of us have conditions that are well controlled by drugs, or which the drugs will lead to enduring remission and we expect a normal or near normal lifespan with no loss of function if restriction on activities

We don’t want to be forgotten or written off

And we definitely do not want our DC to lose their school places because we would rather wait and not have them be in the first wave of school returners (waiting time see whether a few weeks/months more evidence of transmission patterns gives important messages about school safety, or effectiveness of plasma or other therapies - not because we’re thickos who expect a magic wand to wave at a certain date, as I interpreted one recent MN thread)

I’m hoping they will review the list as they get more information, I know a study into my condition found a 1.4 increased risk, which is lower than several conditions not shielded. As time goes on I think things may change as they learn.

Of the four people I know who are shielding none would class themselves as disabled and all have full time jobs, two who can't do theirs from home so have been furloughed.

I don't know that any will be able to shield effectively until September as all but one have kids.

People need to stop thinking all of the shielding category are old and/or disabled. It's not the case - not even close.

People are misunderstand it hasn’t been extended for another 12 weeks. I received two letters from different sources. One letter as recently as three weeks ago “ both said 12 weeks from the date of letter” than doesn’t mean anything was extended. It’s because the wording “12 weeks from the date of letter,“ was written with the intention that all letters would arrive the first week of lockdown.

• misunderstanding

@RB68 I'm sorry to hear about your Dad 🌷but you do realise that it's up to him whether he shields or not, it's advisory and they made it clear in the guidelines that especially anyone whose life was already limited shoukd decide for themselves whether to shield or not. Obviously it's a very difficult decision to make- but it is his to make

@NagevMama I'm so sorry you've had such an incredibly difficult year. It's difficult anyway, but with all you went through before CV & being your first baby it's just awful. As for your inlaws - you've told them nicely, now just be blunt. I know it's their GC but FFS -the level of bluntness I'd unleash on them would be brutal. Vent away x

@AlternativePerspective

I agree with Posters who have said shielding =/= disabled.

Plus

The Govt didn't cause this but they do need to sort themselves out.

We NEED to stay in lockdown (everyone) until the R rate us much lower. We have
Bashed the economy already If we ease up so soon we WILL have wasted the lockdown, we will overwhelm the NHS & we will have many more thousands die of ALL ages- including babies & children.

I'm in the vulnerable category, I now have 5 of the 'underlying conditions/high risk factors) but I can't see any job protection or support being made available to the millions in this category.

Lockdown for a BIT linger until the R us very low is the most sensible option.

(As for those accusing us of being Dementors ♟ & posting our posts on your nasty bitchy threads - you can fuck right off)

Everyone I know (including me for DS) who is shielding has recently got a text to say until the end of June, basically bringing everyone in line as letters have been sent out at varying times.

Whether things will have improved by the end of June enough to change things slightly still waits to be seen

has anybody who doesnt have the main list of conditions on the gov website been given a shielded letter? genuine question as we are trying to understand dh situation & what happens after (he isn't shielded but has had several conditions which could make him vulnerable)

The list of conditions for shielding had to be something that could be determined overnight and could be easily picked out on medical records and therefore required it to be blanket restrictions on conditions. As the outbreak progresses I am hopeful that some conditions will be able to be removed entirely and the advice relating to other conditions will be able to be extended to include variances depending on the degree that the condition is under control and the level of other risk factors such as age, gender, weight and other diagnosed conditions. Unfortunately, it is also likely that there will have to be a small number of other conditions or combination of conditions that will have to be added to the shielding list, but I hope that only a fraction of those currently shielding will have to do so in the long term. I also expect that in cases of those who are terminally ill, or particularly suffering mentally due to shielding, that GPs will be encouraged to have individualised conversations about balancing the risk of corona against other factors and will be able to release such people from the need to shield on a case by case basis.

@mumwon my group isn’t on the website list, I have no spleen. I am definitely shielded according to my primary care and received a letter a couple of weeks back.

I think there is a significant chance that the disabled or those with serious health conditions will find the job market more challenging in the next few years, i’m Afraid. It’s not going to be great for anyone..

I know people who've had a second letter but I think it's a computer bug were a message is being sent out routinely by a computer, and the first ltter applies. If they were really being advised to stay in longer, it would've been mentioned at the press conferences.

People with illnesses have a choice as to whether they follow the 12 week guideline of course.

It might put some increased gap between disabled and non disabled people, but on the other hhand it'll prevent some disabled people dying, which is worth trying to do.

Exactly. A significant amount of people in my disabled organisation have lost their job/job security over this, and even those who are furloughed are frightened to think what will happen if shielding is extended.

So there hasn’t been any letters sent out saying another 12 weeks then just people getting letters late - wish people wouldn’t post this sort of stuff when it’s not correct , just causes anxiety. I think the period will be extended from the 30th June personally but that’s not based on fact or hearsay

OP it’s advice, it’s not the law

You can just bin the letter.

Hopefully most workplaces won’t know about shielders.

I’ve a relative in the same position, I know it’s horrible. But as far as you can, ignore it.

@mrsbyers I agree, I felt sick when I read the title to this thread. I think it will be extended but nothing has been said other than the short extension to June 30th.

I have had 2 letters. One sent out mid April and one at the end of April. both state 12 weeks. I was shielding anyway since late February, but it is a bit confusing.
We will just continue regardless of what is announced on Sunday. I am fortunate to be retired and I can't walk much anyway.

Ds has been put on shielding list but we are doing our own thing based on his overall needs. He has been put on it because he would be more difficult to treat in hospital if he needed it rather than being at a great risk of being very unwell.

@LilacTree1
It is rumoured that those in the shielded group won't be allowed to work outside of the home and that employers could be fined if anyone in that group is caught working. If this is the case I believe it would be necessary for employers to be told by medical authorities which of their employees fall into this group as it is quite apparent that a small number of those meant to be shielding would choose to return to work if they could even if this meant not informing their employer that they should be shielding (and it is plainly unfair to punish an employer who is breaking the law without their knowledge).

@AlternativePerspective It is guidance not a law.

The advice is to stay inside for 12 weeks.

I have a very close friend who is shielding as she is using immune suppressant drugs, but she is also using her common sense. She does go out for a walk very early in the day to a remote area.

If you are looking for work- as one of my family is doing at the moment- interviews will likely be done remotely and medicals not done (not everyone has a medical for a job so can't quite get why you are focusing on that!)

All the people I know of at the moment in work (I work from home anyway) are working remotely.

If you do work that requires you to be hands-on (shops, cafe, carer) yes that is harder but there is nothing anyone can do over that.

You either take the chance, or you wait for a vaccine.

those who are furloughed are frightened to think what will happen if shielding is extended

@mrsbyers -not picking On you, yours was just the latest comment!

I really do not understand this attitude. Are you not more frightened if lockdown/furlough isn't extended? The virus is still very active. Those things help to protect the shielded.

People can ask to be removed from the shielded list if they don't want to shield. I will be asking for ds's name to be removed if it creates any problems for him.