Being 'vulnerable' does not make you part of the 'Shielded' group - if you're confused, see below

[Clymene]

At the start of the outbreak, many people were told they were in the vulnerable category. This includes people with asthma, pregnant women, the morbidly obese and people with MS and diabetes.

The full list is here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

These people should be very careful with social distancing, ideally for 12 weeks.

The shielded group are people who are extremely vulnerable. They have been identified by the NHS and should not leave the house. These are people with cancer, organ transplants, cystic fibrosis and other serious conditions. This is why they have been issued with food parcels by the government. A full list of these people is here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

You cannot self-define as shielded. If you are vulnerable, take precautions. Use your local resources. But remember there are people who are much more vulnerable than you.

If you do not fall into either of these groups, please leave the resources to keep the vulnerable safe and well. Not only to protect them, but to protect all of us. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if the vulnerable clog up all the beds, there won't be any space for the outliers who randomly get very ill.

@aWeaponCalledtheWord it seems to vary a lot by area. I was sent a food box within a few days of registering (and have since been sent or offered a further three, although I have now cancelled). A friend on shielding in a neighbouring borough has heard nothing. Good luck. I hope you get help soon.

@IrmaFayLear
Ok I'm in the NW and this is the situation I was in

No shielding letter, no text. Even after consultant both rang and emailed the GP. I did get a call from my consultant as my appointment had to be changed to a telephone one so he can arrange my meds to be couriered to me hopefully
One delivery from the food bank after I asked
No other texts, help offered, government food parcels or delivery slots
Sainsbury's recognise me as shielding but there's still no slots. Ocado and Waitrose I can't get on the site, Morrison's and Asda haven't offered slots. Tesco I got one but had to wait 25 days in between deliveries
I registered on the GOV website as soon as it appeared and put that I needed help with food/shopping (no local family, live alone etc). No contact. I've rung the council, the GP, my consultant, my clinical nurse specialist...

I know some people will say well you didn't receive a letter so you don't need to be shielding - I do, but for whatever reason I fell in between the cracks and I imagine I'm not the only one

@Nameofchanges being on Seretide doesn't confer shielded status. I'm on Seretide (or the generic version - FluSal - Fluticasone and Salmeterol combined), and take 250 (the highest dose in it), 2 puffs 3x a day. I also take Atrovent and Ventolin, along with Montelukast. I often also have to take Prednisone. I still woke up wheezing and coughing badly last night, and it took three hours of Ventolin and Atrovent to subdue it.

Despite this I haven't had a letter telling me to shield, so obviously Seretide is not a criterion.

My DC received a letter and text to shield due to asthma and type of inhaler. I did not register DC obviously because DC does not need to go out.

Friends have asked me if I'm self isolating, 12 weeks? Because I've had diabetes all my life. But if you are not considered vulnerable, so not in the top list, you won't get a letter, so can't get a supermarket delivery slot, no matter what, it makes it harder.

My husband got terminal cancer but are not getting chemotherapy at the moment but an experimental type of drug for his cancer.
As far as I understand, you need to be given chemo to qualify. He didn’t get a letter. I treat him as shielded regardless.

If you need help, please contact a group through here:
covidmutualaid.org/local-groups/.

If there is a gap, please say where you are and what the gap is.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse what inhaler? It's really unhelpful and actually quite upsetting when people post such ambiguous things.

According to asthma UK's original guidelines, those taking a high-dose steriod inhaler, combined with a bronchodilator should be shielded, or those with a high-dose steroid inhaler and Montelukast. I take a high-dose steroid inhaler with bronchilator in it, and also Montelukast, which would almost certainly confer shielded status, but no... I have been intubated a few times, but still no.

Interestingly Asthma UK Org, now say that GPs are supposedly going through the list for those who may have been missed. I actually emailed my GP with the guidelines from Asthma UK, and they replied it was nothing to do with them. They are shower of shite anyway and as soon as this is over I plan to leave them.

They are still expecting me to go to see the asthma nurse this month, even though I don't want to... and don't see the point. I had an asthma review with my GP last month, and cannot see the point in putting myself in danger (and having to walk and right now my chest is very tight), when they refuse to take any responsibility .

I gather that the Asthma UK guidelines changed several times. The version I saw - before the information regarding high dose inhalers was removed completely - was that people should be shielded if they were taking the inhalers you mention, with/without Montelukast (depending on type of inhaler, as you said), and you have been on at least four courses of oral steroid tablets between July and December 2019. There were other scenarios requiring shielding as well, including taking tiotropium or biological therapy.

@aWeaponCalledtheWord have you heard anything about delivery slots yet? It took two weeks from me registering on the extremely vulnerable list to getting emails from Tesco and Sainsbury’s. I was already registered with both of them. If you are an existing customer, once they get an updated government list then you should get an email.

Still nothing here in Wales. A friend of mine only got his letter on Thursday though, so they're clearly still being delivered.

And yes, I'm sitting out my back garden too. Well, just outside the back door!

nope, not a peep. secured an asda slot by virtue of being awake at half 12 this morning but no contact otherwise.

i did get a text from the government confirming i’d been registered as ‘clinical extremely vulnerable’ and to call the council if i need anything...

@BeyondMymymymyCorona - There are loads of Covid-19 support groups in Wales, did you check the link I posted?
covidmutualaid.org/local-groups/

Thanks mrex, I'm okay for support here at the moment, just commenting that I still don't have my letter

I've had my letter since end of March as I'm on immunosupressants as part of my breast cancer treatment, still not on any supermarkets list, no food boxes, nothing.I've been sitting up until midnight most nights trying to get a delivery slot.

I managed to get an iceland delivery for today. I've been ringing sainsburys customer line as per their Twitter but you either dont get connected or I'm sat in a queue for hours.

I have accounts with all the supermarkets, they all have the same correct email address and I've done the .gov website. Still nothing. I've had my letter for 2 weeks and still absolutely no help from the supermarkets/councils/government and I'm so sick of people saying that the supermarkets will give priority to the shielded because clearly not all of us are being added to the supermarkets lists.