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.

Well according to at least one poster on this thread, I am not actually shielding

Even though I had the letter in the first wave (and had been pretty much in isolation for a couple of weeks before that) because I am living with leukaemia

But after specific discussions with my haematologist and consideration of the risk/benefit equation, and a check with a consultant working with COVID patients, it was agreed that with rigid social distancing and at quiet times of day, I could go out for exercise. This was deemed good for spirit and soul - it more pragmatically to preserve my MH. But I go out only rarely - 4 runs in the last 9 weeks, when usually I’d run 4x a week. And one of those was when I needed to go to a clinic for blood tests.

Shielding is really tough, even when you do break the shield occasionally

The early weeks - when I was not going out at all and was still wrangling with a supermarket about securing delivery slots, and worried about food supply - were the worst.

I’m on a fairly even keel at the moment. I’ve not heard anything official about the requirement to shield being extended. But I think there’s enough hints on the grapevine that a further (and substantial) extension is on the cards.

So this is definitely a marathon not a sprint.

And what is beginning to help is people realising that no-one in the shield group is there because of age; we are not inherently decrepit or moribund. Many of us are extremely healthy, working age parents, who just happen to rely on some fairly heavy duty drugs to keep us so normal that, if you met us, you wouldn’t know there was anything remotely

I have seen posts which say quite overtly that we would be dying this year anyhow. This is not true, and we are no more expendable than anyone else. Though we have to live in such a different and tough way now, I dream of lockdown rules, and going out for exercise daily!

Just to clarify the situation with second letters. These are as a result of further searches. The date is still 30th June. Although this will most likely be extended nothing has been decided as yet.

I feel so.sorry for shielding people with school age children. How on earth will they manage? You can't shield from young children if you're their parent can you? And how do you get them to and from school if you can't go out?

Why aren't government explaining this to us? I've seen no mention of what's going to happen about our jobs, whether we will still be paid or about helping us to go back to work possibly with PPE. It just feels like we've been shut in our houses and forgotten about.

Baggiegirl

That's exactly what my GP said. I've only had a second letter sent because my employer was asking me to return not work mid June, twelve weeks after my first letter. I phoned my GP to check and he said no 30th June and sent me another letter that specifies 30th June, at present.

It's clearly going to be extended but they haven't announced it yet.

A lady who works for me got her first sheilding letter just less than 3 weeks ago.

We are all wfh. She was on furlough but I brought her back first to WFH as she literally had nothing to do. The rest of the team were fine and if we go back to the office she can remain wfh.

My mum is sheilding and dad works in the NHS so that difficult

I do take time to ask people if they are shielding or just staying in. I have come across loads of people saying they are sheilding, when in fact they have no reason to. We struggled getting quite a few staff members back who claimed to be sheilding (the werent) or living with some that was (they werent).

As usual, a few ruin it for the majority that are in need.

So the only thing that's changed for me is clarifying the circunstance of their shielding.

When I think of shielders and their families I just think how much harder they must be finding things as they are stuck at home completely and must be so worried about themselves/their relative

Exactly what ivampire said upthread. Every single word of it. Well said.

I wrote to my MP about the lack of clarity and information.
No response.

Shielding is hard no matter the age. My daughter is 7 and received a shielding letter she understand that she can’t go out can’t see friends etc. She is scared of playing in the garden in case she gets the virus and dies she has a very complex medical history and problems. No one knows how it is going to affect her.
In wales the shielding letters run out middle of June then what are are meant to do? We as a family have had to shield her younger sister has to stay at home so not to catch it and pass it on.
I feel sorry for all the people who have to shield but I feel sorry for the family involved too as it’s bloody hard work. I would love to go for a walk or I look forward to the day I can go shopping again.
We can’t get a delivery slot so I am very reliant on family and friends to deliver what I need

If you see someone saying something negative about people who are shielding, have you asked them why they have that opinion??

I've not seen anything negative about shielders, and really dont see why anyone would have a negative opinion about it....I've been shielding for 9 weeks as much as possible as advised. I'm working full time from home and trying to keep my sanity together whilst I watch other people meet up with friends and family, I doubt I'll even get to see my family when my baby is born. Anyone speaking negatively about shielders can F right off, it's not easy!

I've not seen anything negative.

My personal opinion is that they must be

1. Lots of sympathy - They are even more worried than I was at my peak
2. Sick of not being acknowledged by people like Boris. If they can't go out until a vaccine then I think they'd appreciate knowing that
3. Stressed. Disinfecting shopping etc
4. Worried about the future. Should their child go to school etc

Why on earth would people shielding be viewed negatively by anyone? It’s bloody miserable.

My husband got "the letter" and has been shielding for 9 weeks now (I think?). We decided to shield as a family so that he was not restricted to one room. So none of us have been outside the property, or had anyone inside the property for that time either.

In that time we have not had any outside support - are not eligable for any benefits or furloughing - not had any food parcels or any emotional/practical support. We've been lucky enough to get supermarket delivery slots and have disinfected it after it is left by the front door and have also disinfected the post.

It's been hard and we miss our adult children/grandchildren so desperately. However the thing I have found most upsetting is over the past week or so, how unkind people have been. People who do not know our situation or people online who, jump to conclusions. People thinking the money must be pouring in, or who feel "enough is enough now" and should be out and about now. I have found many people, including here on the this site to be very judgemental. And this has been the hardest part. As the rest of the country takes small steps towards a new normal, we cannot, and that is what we are finding difficult. I fear we will, in a short time, still be forgotten.

We have to do this so my husband stays alive. Full stop. He is not disabled or outwardly suffering from anything obvious, before this we led a normal life, well a normal life with awful lung disease. But now he has to sheild, and I wil shield with him. We know there may be no end in site for us. We also know that goodwill, or sympathy, generally seems to have fun out. Just as the savings we are using up to exist are running out too. And that makes me feel much more alone than not going out does.

I wondered if there was some sort of support group, or forum, or anything to talk to someone who does understand. If anyone knows please let me know. I truly fear we will be forgotten.

I feel unbelievably sad for them. I would think getting one of those letters is a very terrifying reality.

I would also imagine many of them are sitting in their homes thinking that they are just about the only fuckers that are doing as they're told. On my afternoon walk I saw 4 sets of neighbours having a driveway drink-up featuring, saw a car belonging to a friend parked up outside her besties and the house 2 away have had people round for a bbq and play date this afternoon.

I only went round the sodding block!

People shielding are absolute champs.
Their continued isolation will let us get some normality back, then hopefully we can get them sorted ASAP.

I feel sorry for people who are shielding if they can't safely go out. I wouldn't think anything negative about them.

I actually kind of understand people who are "self shielding". I did so from the beginning of March - whole household too - as I knew I would be at greater risk cause of my disabilities.

Surprise surprise, my letter finally arrived last week, after I had to speak to my dr for an unrelated problem and mentioned that I hadn't had one. First one had got lost (remember, 12000 in Wales were apparently sent to the wrong house)

@cornish009 link to the chat thread
for those who are shielding www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3888059-chat-for-those-who-are-shielding

If they are out and about then they are not shielding are they 🙈
I feel terribly sorry for anyone who is shielding -must be awful.
What other attitudes are there

Did you sort out your script, client?
It was a kidney infection that I had too, also with vulnerability to sepsis. Luckily two doses of ABs later (and the inevitable thrush) and I'm feeling a bit more human. Fingers crossed you're on the mend soon

So many people I speak to have no clue what the recommendations are for shielding. I'm told I should go for a walk (I don't even walk, so it's not for exercise ) at least once a day! 🙄

I have had the letters and scary texts. I am an odd case as don t really fit the list. But I have lowered immunity from cancer In the past.
I have had to go through occupation health at work to find out what I should do. They deemed me fit to continue working.
I'm still going to work, I still go to the supermarket.
I am fit and otherwise healthy and deemed fit to work in a hospital, just not with covid.
Apparently many people have inappropriately had these letters.
My mum hasn't had any letters but is fully isolated as over 70 and asmatic. I view her as at risk!
The scared and healthy even make me role my eyes a bit.

Thank you for the flowers flamingofolie
It is extremely difficult but what else can we do?
I have decisions to make when we are told to return to work. My husband is retired but if I return to work I risk passing covid to him. Even if it's a low risk there's very high stakes.
I'm desperate to see and hug the 3 granddaughters but not sure when that will be. Their mum's a nurse so that's risky too.
I do feel a bit miffed when people compare themselves to our situation because they have mild asthma etc. It's not quite in the same league!
However, this has been our life for a while now, and we will just do our best to make good decisions and stay as positive as possible.

If I didn't shield. I would end up dying from the corona virus. I honestly don't care what people think. Perhaps, you should think about how isolating it is for those people you know who have to isolate? I'm sorry if I sound stroppy but some people don't actually want to isolate but have too.

@BeyondDreamsOfBeyondFourWalls another hour on the phone to 111 and they resent it
I went to the pharmacy and paid when it wasn't there so they'll deliver it but not until tomorrow. They closed before the script got sent over so I couldn't get it today