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.

I think those who have had the NHS letter are high risk if they catch it and therefore it makes sense. As a society we should do what we can to protect them - prioritising them for supermarket delivery slots and not whining that you’ve not been able to get one for example, Supporting via the furlough scheme etc.

The rest of us need to get on with it So there’s a society and an economy to support them.

I think people might feel a bit differently about others who have chosen to 'self shield' though, without being advised to..

I agree, that's why I excluded them in the OP - it's not the same thing so shouldnt be treated as such.

I feel sorry for them. I isolated for 2 weeks thanks to DD having a cough and that was bad enough. Cannot imagine not leaving the house for 12 weeks.

I think they’re doing a wonderful and selfless thing. They’re not only protecting themselves but also the NHS which is commendable. It isn’t easy to stay indoors for so long whatsoever so kudos to them for staying strong.

@throwaway201809 you are allowed to get personal advice from a HCP who treats you.

This advice may go against the government guidance but the HCP will better understand your disease, your lifestyle and your mental health as they are the ones who have been treating you.

For example the guidance says don't share tea towels for drying up. I have never used a tea towel for drying up as they are disease carriers and it was one of the things I was adviced not to do decades ago.

I guess I think of people that are shielding the same way as I would of people who are on sick leave when recovering from surgery etc. They need to stay at home because their current circumstances mean it would be too risky for them to go out and mix with people. Ok, so there are a lot more people that fall into that bracket than there usually are, but I don’t see that it’s all that different.

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

Because the hatred towards the shielding is often based on disableism. (Yes, I know not everyone on the shielding list is disabled, but many are, and many have chronic illnesses or chronic medical conditions which are considered a form of disability, even if some posters think disabled=wheelchair.)

A lot of disableism is based on the assumption that disabled people get unearned special privileges or get extra money, and resentment of this. Look at the endless disability benefits-bashing threads “ooh my neighbour got a free mobility car but I’ve seen him working in the garden!! MY tax money pays for these shirkers!”

The perception some people have that disabled/chronically ill/other shielding people are sitting on our arses at home with our hands stuck out, is increasing that resentment, therefore exacerbating disableism.

Disableism is a very, very serious problem. Disabled people experience high levels of abuse including verbal and physical attacks from strangers. Every friend I have who has a visible disability has horror stories of complete strangers coming up to them and hassling, yelling, or physically attacking them.
privateplacespublicspaces.blog/blog-feed/

Often people who engage in disableist abuse will invoke those assumptions (eg screaming “benefits cheat” or “my money pays for you”).

There was a thread on MN recently where several posters made comments implying disabled people don’t work and that if someone works then by definition they can’t be disabled. I personally was accused of “sitting on a sofa with your hand out do you really expect us tax-payers to pay for you indefinitely?” This was after I’d explained that I am working from home full time.

Someone else said “shielding people need to go back to work because it’s not fair we’re forced to pay for them, if they catch COVID and die tough shit.”

The hatred and resentment of people who are disabled/seriously ill is actively dangerous.

Disableism kills.

That’s why it effects me.

I think the negative attitudes are towards the work shy who claim to be shielding 'I had a cold badly once so I need to shield' 'my second cousin once removed has diabetes so I need to shield' etc. At work some people jumped as soon as they saw an opportunity to get paid whilst excusing themselves from any work.

The genuine people with cancer, heart disease etc who are shielding I cant imagine anyone having an issue with.

When I think about people shielding I just feel sympathy and hope they don't come into contact with Covid-19. I hope they have someone to ensure they have all the food, medicines etc that they need. No negative thoughts at all.

If people who have been told to shield decide to go out on a walk then that's fine, that's on them. But they shouldn't then go on about how they're shielding. If you're going out, then you're no longer shielding. You're social distancing and that's fine, but please don't claim to be shielding if you're going out and about, it's so frustrating for those of us who are truly shielding.

I've not left the house since 10th of March. I'm miserable. But I'm sticking to the shielding advice because I personally don't wish to risk catching it. If I catch it I more than likely won't survive it. I'm happy to stay indoors if it means I get to remain alive.

I had the shielding letter. I have three conditions that would make me extremely vulnerable. I do go for a walk though, but I live next to open fields and walk around farm tracks. Other than that I have left the house 3 times for medical appointments that couldn't be done by phone. It's grim, I ache to hug my adult children.
It's already noticeable that companies who were very keen to deliver during total lockdown are now reigning that in as they reopen their doors.
I accept that I can't go to shops, travel, go anywhere with crowds, I am imprisoned indefinitely but I can't cope without my DC.

I worry about the ones in the shielded group. I mean the genuine ones who have been identified because of underlying health conditions or due to age. Especially now there is a drive to get people back to work. On the same stance, I worry about workers who have to use public transport to get to work.

I hope that emploers will use the extended furlough scheme to help out. (My employer is good, we have a plan to be put in action come 1st June.)

@DissociatedDinosaur
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.
That’s just a second very late letter lots of people have had those it does not mean that you restart the 12 weeks. It’s just laziness that they didn’t change the from 12 weeks wording.
It’s still currently June 30th for everyone however the government said its highly likely to be extended.

There is (quite a significant proportion) of MNer and presumably the general public, who don't seem to realise that shielding is advice not a law, and people are free to make their own decisions, especially if they have only months to live. They genuinely see us as "other people" who should be sacrificing themselves to protect healthy people. Also, we shouldn't expect a hospital bed or treatment. I've been on MN over 15 years and I have decided to leave as it's too upsetting to read stuff like this. (I'm only here to finalise TIO).

These are from just one thread about a woman who MNers assumed was shielding but clearly had decided make her own thought out decision to leave the house (possibly under the circumstances outlined above. This is what some MNers think of shielded people.

So she gets Covid-19 and has to be admitted to hospital with complications due to her health issues. She’s now taking up a much needed bed. She passes it onto the nurse who tends to her. The nurse becomes infected, develops breathing problems, ends up on a ventilator and sadly dies. She was young with 2 children.

The joke in this is that she’s out clearly using up resources whilst the rest of us are expected to lose out jobs, homes, livelihoods etc to prevent people like this catching it......

It’s selfish.

irresponsible

Unfortunately, it's people only looking out for their own lives that will end up killing the rest of us.

We (the fit and healthy) have to stay home to protect the vulnerable (clearly she’s in this category) so why should we bother staying home then?? I’m 99.9% sure I won’t end up in hospital if I get it yet I’m not allowed out.....? Selfish

we have to follow the rules and take precautions I feel it’s only fair she does, given that it’s the likes of her we are trying to save.

I'd have been furious if I'd seen her.

Bloody selfish. No respect for others.

I think that shows selfishness and a lack of respect for others.

So selfish.

Selfish woman and her stupidity

Those with shielding letters are more likely to need hospital resources etc if they do shield as whatever condition they have will continue to need treatment. If they get Covid they will probably die with very little medical input.

I guess why it feels selfish is nothing to do with use of the nhs but rather because we are all in lockdown in order to protect the elderly and vulnerable so we expect them to respond appropriately and not put themselves at risk

The woman and her DH are idiots

She's selfish.

The shielded category who should still be in until the end of June. Lockdown relaxation does not apply to this category .
If she wants to ignore that then if she gets ill I hope she stays home and doesn't expect hosp treatment if she contracts the virus or indeed spread it to others

If you're going out, then you're no longer shielding.

It's not a competition to see who can shield the hardest. There is a huge difference between social distancing and not even going into a supermarket etc. Fighting amongst shielders does not help.

A PP has to pick up a prescription, by your definition is she no longer shielding?

This isnt a time for judgement. I have no problem with people who want to go a walk and it doesnt make them need extra support any less.

@ToothFairyNemesis

I'd agree with that, I've not had another letter, but had a text last week to say I needed to shield for longer. This was wrong, as it specified a date. My original letter said shield for 12 weeks from receiving this letter, so would taken me well into July, so if I was doing it, the text has now shortened that time.

Piss up and brewery springs to mind.

I had no idea anyone felt negatively about it?

My mum is shielding due to a lung condition and I'm really worried about her. She's alone in a flat with no garden. Her mental health is declining rapidly. Her doctor told her she should go out for a short daily walk because her lungs had got worse due to having no exercise and very limited fresh air. She goes out late evening so she doesn't see anyone. She's had no perks to any of this?! And she would love nothing more than to be back at work!

Sorryoo this is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.

You don't have to go pick up a prescription. The shielding helpline will arrange to have your medication delivered to you. They did for me. One phone call and my medication was delivered the next day, simple.

It just feels like people are looking for any excuse to leave the house then still try to claim they're shielding. It's frustrating for those of us who truly have to shield and don't have the option to go out as the risk is so high.

Shielding sucks, but I'll do it for as long as my consultants deem it necessary. I'm thankful I work remotely, I'm pulling 45+ hour weeks which is keeping me busy. July will be 4 months since I left the house. I'm desperate to go out but I can't risk it

I agree @SpooniesAreGo - I've seen some of these toxic attitudes ramping up lately, particularly regarding who is more deserving of the chance to live, as apparently all those shielding are close to death anyway so don't matter.

The negativity I've come across has mainly been to do with pitching mental health against physical health, as if people who are sick don't get MH issues - all the talk of the lockdown causing more death in the long run amongst mentally ill people pitched against letting it run through a load of already physically ill people - the kind of post that says 'its not fair we have to lockdown for a few dying people, we should care more about those who will be affected long term' - which of course includes all of us, sick or not. I've seen a lot of this, explicit and implicit, and it makes me feel very uncomfortable and yes, as if some don't think I have a right to be here taking up space and possibly a hospital bed.

Shielding really sucks and I'm tired of it but I will keep doing it.

On another note, I haven't had an extra text or letter this week, has anyone else not had them? I was in the earliest batch with a letter on the first day and a load of texts, another letter and calls from the council etc but haven't heard anything more recently? However will just continue to shield as instructed.

You don't have to go pick up a prescription. The shielding helpline will arrange to have your medication delivered to you. They did for me. One phone call and my medication was delivered the next day, simple.

Read the previous post, she cant wait till tomorrow.

God no. I feel dreadfully sorry for people shielding and fear they are going to be 'left behind' as lockdown eases. I don't have an easy answer. It sounds easy to say, well they can just keep shielding and the rest of us can get on with it, but it's just not that simple is it?

When I think about people shielding I just feel sympathy and hope they don't come into contact with Covid-19. I hope they have someone to ensure they have all the food, medicines etc that they need. No negative thoughts at all.

^ This. I'm just grateful I'm relatively low risk.

@throwaway201809 so you have decided not to engage with any of the HCPs treating you?

You do realise some in the shielding group are parents of babies, toddlers and young children or shielding someone who is so the guidance is impossible.

In regards to going out if you live rurally then you aren't going to catch Covid-19 as there is no-one there to pass it to you. I don't live rurally and due to people's behaviour have been told not to go out.