Shielding advice is basically bollocks

[nomdefuckit]

Who can stay 2m away from a toddler?

No proper guidance anywhere!

What do you do? Isolate the entire house for three months?

Yes, if you can't isolate the person you should isolate the household.

And how are you supposed to get stuff?

The government vulnerable portal asks if there is anybody in your household who can get stuff. This will then assume that, that person can go out.

I genuinely have no idea how to do this.

No shopping slots. Running out of basics

Who needs shielding, you or the toddler?

If the other person in your household is also shielding then surely the answer to that question is no?

I’m shielding the best I can. I’m the vulnerable one with cancer. So DH, DDs 2 and 6 are all in with me. Online shop where you can. As others to drop stuff if not. Worst case DH goes out briefly and washes hands on return. We stay like this until told otherwise.

Ironically I’m currently at hospital picking up new pills..... but other than that..........

Also shielding but as a household as can't keep away from rest of family. We were also advised that when DH gets back from shopping, he must change his clothes immediately and wash straightaway.

It's DH who is shielding

It just seems completely unrealistic

I’ve signed up as an NHS volunteer and one of the roles listed is shopping for people who are shielding.

Hope it’s up and running soon.

NHS volunteers and local hubs will help with food/medicines etc. So the answer to that question is no, nobody in your household can go out. If you can’t isolate DH from the toddler; which is a big ask, then all of you are now shielding.

Some hubs are up and functioning well already, you’d be surprised. Find your local one and they can help in the meantime, until the NHS scheme is up and running.

The advice is very difficult to follow if you have a family. If anything it just wound me up as I feel I'm doing it wrong. But I can't just lock myself away from the family for 12 weeks. If I get it and die that would be a sad last few months.

We doing the same as TooMuch.

DH going shopping only when we are really short of basics, then unloading shopping, stripping off, clothes straight in washer, then shower.

I think he has to stay in a room the toddler doesn't have access to

I've just looked online and there's no hub near here.

So we have to risk DH going shopping.

What's mad is that the dcs were in school til last Friday so there's still a good chance they're about to develop symptoms. After that it will be down to how good dh is at keeping virus- free when shopping.

All slots taken til late April online. It would help if less vulnerable people,didn't book the slots up.

There's 6 of us, so with the limits on quantity, not easy to get away with one shop a week.

Our local neighbourhood watch is offering to help with shopping etc for vulnerable people- and I've seen a few people on facebook groups offering help. Could you perhaps ask around on a local facebook group to see if there is any organisation/informal volunteer group near you? There are also some smaller food shops near us offering delivery to vulnerable people- could you see if there is similar near you, I suspect they will have less of a waiting list for slots.

My parents are both shielding as one of them is at high risk and it's harder than people think to stay entirely away from the outside world. We leave them shopping at the end of the drive and phone to wave at them- it feels really alien. They avoided stockpiling and can't get delivery slots so now I'm driving a 2 hour round trip once a week so they can eat.

If he’s shielding then obviously you’re the one that has to go out to the shops. The toddler should stay at home with him.

Yes, that's the state of play for us. We are all holding up in the house for the duration. I have a click and collect set up for next Saturday which I think can't be any more risky than having someone to the door and dh will collect that. After that we will be able to go a while without going out again.

The Morrisons meal box thing looks like a good idea but is already swamped.

I'm quite uncomfortable about signing up as a vulnerable person - I think that's just pride messing with me. It seems ridiculous that I might be reliant on charity just to get food to the house. I wish there were delivery slots available.

Morrisons have new food box delivery from dpd. Veg or meateater, basic supplies.

It's not bollocks. It's difficult.

My sister and her family are shielding (their DS is the vulnerable one). They interpreted the advice to mean that they all needed to stay at home. We are going to be shopping and dropping for them (if they didn't have anyone to do this, the advice is that one of the family goes out for the essentials but they person would then need to isolate away from everyone else, which obviously isn't workable with a young child).

Have you got anyway to shop for you?

Can I qualify for priority delivery slots if I am vulnerable but dh isn't?

Is he putting me at risk by shopping?

I wouldn't want to take a slot from someone with no one in the household to shop iyswim. They are def worse off.

Dh is shielding. We are staying in the house for at least 12 weeks. This will be really hard on our boys (24, 22 and 13) but they have all agreed. We don’t really have any family that can help but that also means we don’t have elderly parents to worry about. I appreciate that we are very lucky. There are lots of hotels etc who will deliver food. We have a garden and the boys each have a bedroom (older boys are working from home). If we were in a small high rise flat it would be a different matter. It’s going to be difficult but the alternative is worse.

Thank you @FeelingCrap54 that's a wonderful thing to do

We’re trying to shield the household but can’t get a delivery slot or get in touch with any company to add us to a vulnerable people list like the one Sainsburys is meant to be operating. It’s all a bit shit.

I’m going to have to send DH out to shop but then that’s a risk.

@FourTeaFallOut I feel the same. Essentially I’m a full time worker plus mother of 2 and don’t “feel ill” despite the cancer and medication and therefore don’t feel right taking up vulnerable slots or help from people.

But, I have to remember that’s not the point. If I get CV it could be very bad and I shouldn’t put myself in a risky position to make life harder for others.

Just wish there were online slots then we COULD look after ourselves.......