To wonder what people think of those shielding now

[Flamingofolie]

I've seen the shielding mentioned negatively 3 times this morning. What do you think, they get preferential treatment? They're just doing as they're told? It's just an excuse to avoid work?

To clarify I'm talking about those who have been explicitly told to shield, not people who have decided to do so of their own accord.

Why do people always have to worry about what others think?
If you've been told you to shield then shield.

Those who have been told to shield - and are doing it - are helping to flatten those peaks, preserving access to NHS ventilators for those who need them, and are to be commended.

I got my letter 2 days ago.

I'm no different to anyone else really. I don't use home delivery slots, my DH goes to Tesco. I'll still go for my morning dog walk and just stay away from others. I'll keep out of Tesco and garden centre type places for a bit mind.

Even if covid wasn't here I'd still be off work til I finish treatment so nothing to be gained there either.

As far as I can see the letter is to protect me and my lowered immune system. Other than the cancer I'm fit, healthy, slim and 41, so normally I'd have a good chance of surviving covid-19. I'll get it at some point I'm sure. I just would rather that's at the end of the year when my system has recovered and better able to deal with it.

Those who are shielding are the most at risk of dying. Shielding does not mean they are not working.
My bookkeeper is shielding as she has an autoimmune condition that requires high doses of steroids we run a 24/7 service so are still working. She has sorted all the furlough for the staff who are not essential saving me an immense amount of time.
I expect it to be months before I actually see her again, I want her to keep safe and continue to facilitate her working from home.

I think they’ve been told to shield so must have a condition for them to have been told to do so. That’s as far as my thinking goes tbh.

My DM has both a heart and lung condition. She's 75. She wasn't told to shield as her conditions aren't at the severe end. And she's still working but from home.

YABU and I don't care what anyone else thinks...

Why do people always have to worry about what others think?

Who said anything about worrying

YABU and I don't care what anyone else thinks...

What part am I unreasonable for?!

Also if I do get it, I go to hospital 5 times a week, so there is a risk, I don't see why i'm any less deserving of a ventilator than anyone else who's got it tbh 🤷🏼‍♀️

If people are very vulnerable and told to shield then I cannot understand anyone mentioning them negatively. They have their health to consider. I imagine most people will understand their concerns.

The next group down are the vulnerable that don't have to shield but take care etc.

The ones that I have seen being criticised are the fearful healthy - that's a completely different issue altogether. There seems to be quite a few drama queens on MN's in this category. Going over the top calling people murderers, reporting people, screaming about what others do.... I fint them annoying so tend to ignore those.

Ok, reworded for the simple minded.
Why does what others think concern you?
If you've been told to shield then shield.

I have been shielding for ten weeks already.

I have now received another letter saying I need to shield for twelve weeks from the date of that letter - this came this week. As you can imagine I am quite close to losing my shit completely.

I am not really getting anything different, I have access to Sainsbury's slot but the last two times I have done a "big" shop the produce has all expired on the day, or the day after so it was pointless. My normal shop has gone up 50% in cost. For food and things, a local pub and a corner shop are helping me out with delivery.

For medication, nothing has changed - I always had mine delivered due to my working hours.

I don't think people understand how stressful it is to be shielding. At the start of all this I was reading so many comments inline with "I'd rather know I will be given a ventilator than a shielding supermarket slot" etc. It was hugely worrying.

I have serious work concerns, financial concerns, which could well become housing concerns soon.

People's judgement right now is not needed and I am ignoring.

Apart from with work - unfortunately I am going to have to face that battle face on when the time comes.

I pressed enter too quickly!

I have no negative thoughts or words to genuine shielders. Some are working from home anyway so no assumption they are not working. Others might not be able to due to jobs - not their fault either.

How do they get preferential treatment - do you mean supermarket home delivery? If that's what you mean no jealousy they need it and so why not.

If someone is very at risk then I get why they need to shield (by shield I mean stay at home completely/not mix etc. There seems to be a mix up with some thinking social distancing is shielding or self isolating is shielding - they are all different things.

Good luck -
"DissociatedDinosaur Sun 17-May-20 11:05:47
I have been shielding for ten weeks already.
I have now received another letter saying I need to shield for twelve weeks from the date of that letter - this came this week. As you can imagine I am quite close to losing my shit completely."

Quite rightly why should you worry about what any negative person says. There are plenty of them around.

Good luck, stay safe and I hope that a virus/cure comes so that the very vulnerable shielded can feel more safe.

Ok, reworded for the simple minded.
Why does what others think concern you?

ODFOD with your simple minded.

I'm interested, I've seen an increase in negative attitudes and I'm curious as to why.

When I think about people shielding, I really just feel sympathy and concern because they must be scared for their health and jobs, and unsure how long they are going to be locked away for.

My colleagues who are shielding all seem to be working hard, just from home.

I could understand someone having a grumble about a shielding colleague who isn't working from home despite being paid, particularly if she shielding is self-imposes and a bit spurious I suppose.

I've seen it a lot on FB. Someone had posted about being thankful for the food box as they were struggling to get a delivery slot
Then a load of comments "my mum is 75 and didn't get one/how do I get one for auntie X/all the benefit losers will be taking advantage of this/going to people who don't need them..." and on and on

My mum’s shielding, and has been for about 12 weeks. She’s got a primary immune deficiency and was warned by her consultant about 4 weeks before lockdown officially started that she should not go out. I’m forever grateful to that consultant, even if mum is bored rigid! She got her third letter this week, telling her to shield for another 12 weeks as of this date, so other than her three weekly hospital appointments for her infusions, she hasn’t left the house.

How could that possibly annoy anyone?! Those shielding aren’t doing it for grocery slots or prescription deliveries, they’re doing it to keep themselves safe and not to overburden the NHS. It’s actually sad as f*ck that my mum is fully aware that she was being asked to shield because should she develop COVID, her age and health mean she maybe wouldn’t be prioritised for treatment. I think people getting antsy about furlough, shielding, people getting delivery slots etc are just looking for things to get irritated by, and are probably the ones taking pictures in the park to name and shame those having a picnic. They should probably just use some of that spare time being grateful that they’re not ill enough to warrant having to shield themselves.

for all the shielders and those with loved ones shielding.

One of the loveliest opinions I've seen expressed was re someone who was meant to be shielding but went to a shop. They were all but called a murderer.

I think theres been a shift though. To begin with there were disgruntled attitudes "why should we lockdown to protect such a small portion of society" (not what lockdown is for but whatever)

Now I'm seeing "how dare they decide not to shield, they will take up a valuable ICU bed someone else could have had". (I've seen this 2 or 3 times on mumsnet already).

I need a prescription collecting today. Can't find anyone to go for me
So I either put up with an untreated UTI when I'm vulnerable to sepsis or drive there and collect it

I’m shielding (received a couple of letters). TBH I’m not doing it properly because shielding from my own kids or stopping them from leaving the house for a run around a deserted field just isn’t going to happen. I have a hospital bag packed with a copy of my will and letters for the DC. When this all started we’d all just seen the news from Italy about doctors not putting patients with underlying conditions on ventilators because there weren’t enough for everyone and they had to prioritise those with the best chance of recovery. It was terrifying.

However, my SIL is a GP and her surgery has inundated with people demanding a shielding letter. Hardly any of them needed one and fewer still understood just how restrictive the instructions are for people shielding.

I don’t know why anyone would think negatively of anyone shielding. My child is shielding and I would give anything for him to not have a medical condition which puts him at more risk. Both myself and DH have been working as normal throughout all of this and we do not get any food packages or priority deliveries. Apart from work and DH does our shopping, we don’t go out anywhere, so I can assure anyone feeling jealous or annoyed about people who are shielding, it isn’t a situation we would have chosen.

I've not seen the shielded criticised so far, but I have seen the next group down - the clinically vulnerable - criticised (including in MN)for taking extra caution and being concerned about returning to work, especially when those clinically vulnerable are teaching staff.

The trouble is many of those in the clinically vulnerable group have hidden conditions so it's not obvious who they are. People, from a distance, think those clinically vulnerable are healthy (as much of the condition is hidden) - and to an extent they are, but unfortunately if they catch CV19 they are then at much greater risk of it being much worse.

I have great empathy and sympathy for the shielded in particular. They have it really tough at the moment with them not supposed to be out at all.

I'm in the clinically vulnerable group, although I am constantly receiving the shielded communication from The national shielding group set up. I've not had the letter and don't believe I should be shielding, so just taking extra care and limiting my contact with others.

My family are shielding for my 5 year old.
I haven't seen any negative posts. What kind of things have been said?