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.

okay, I was just explaining why I was asking.

Point still stands about how people with disabilities may well automatically be less capable of survival when weighed up against someone perfectly healthy. Which I understand and don't disagree with - but if a disabled person wants to stay home rather than risk it, I don't think people should be shouting at them about not being on the list.

Sorry that wasnt just aimed at you. A few posters are focusing on it but there is clear guidance on its use.

Point still stands about how people with disabilities may well automatically be less capable of survival when weighed up against someone perfectly healthy.

Yes, this is acknowledged in the guidance and essentially seen as an acceptable process for now.

Its horrible, it really is. But to go back to PPs upthread, medics will consider your current state and how likely you are to recover quickly. It's not as clear cut as the shielding letter being your execution note.

Honestly, I think this pandemic has highlighted just how little the average person understands chronic illness and disability.

On so many threads I'm seeing variations of " why are we in lockdown? The people at risk are well going to die within a year anyway so why trash the economy to save them". People seemingly have no clue just how many of us were living difficult but relatively normal lives - working, caring for our families, participating in society. Our difficulties are invisible and so clearly have been ignored. Now, apparently, we are all classed as being at deaths door.

This is showing just how much of a knife edge we've all been balanced on. Our lives have been so easily threatened by a simple infection and yet prior to this we've all just been pushing on, managing as best we can. This just shows how vulnerable many of us are, even if day to day that's ignored by society.

It is a valid concern that those with medical conditions won’t be offered treatment if a ‘healthy’ person also needs one. Drs make clinical decisions everyday that make judgments on perceived quality of life. It isn’t new, it’s just that the pressure on hospitals is now so acute that people are concerned that they’ll be seen as a bad risk and denied treatment.

I agree @Hearhoovesthinkzebras some of the threads have been awful. Some people have no comprehension of how you can be very ‘healthy’ yet have a chronic condition.

It is a valid concern that those with medical conditions won’t be offered treatment if a ‘healthy’ person also needs one.

Totally, but there are a few posters who seem to think if you have a shielding letter they wont even look at you. It's not the letter that's the problem, it's the medical history. I'm asthmatic which puts me on the list but I fully expect that should I present at hospital when things get really bad, my entire health history will be taken into account - to my detriment most likely.

It's not just your medical conditions. It's how likely treatment is to be successful, and that's a decision that drs make every day anyway.

A lot of people don't seem to understand the limitations of medicine. I've seen people outraged that a BMI of 40 makes them vulnerable and are viewing it as some sort of judgement on them when in reality it's just the truth that at that size it will be very difficult to ventilate a patient and to then wean them from a ventilator and that holds true for many conditions. Even with a limitless supply of ventilators and ITU beds only about 50% of patients will survive.

*HearHooves
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I totally agree. Quite a few people I know have looked askance and unbelievingly at me when I've said I'm in the shielding group (on videocall) obviously. I don't share my diagnosis with most people, I just get on with it mostly and when I have a flare I will just say I wasn't well and most people don't question more deeply.

Have you read Jane Edwards book on chronic illness? It's really good and helpful for how to manage how other people often don't get it and never will.

I'm going to NC after all this
But I just did a call for a podcast and brought a lot of these points up, and also that people in the shielding group are people that you walk past every day in the street. It's aiming to bring some awareness to rare diseases and also help for people who need it
The guy was very lovely and asked a lot of stuff about how people can help etc and the difference between vulnerable and shielding

They haven't asked this of us with bmi 40+ to shield though.

Its scary.

They haven't asked this of us with bmi 40+ to shield though.

No they haven't. They haven't told any of those in the vulnerable group to shield. They've only picked the most vulnerable, about one and a half million.

My view is that they just don't have the resources to keep all the "vulnerable" locked up for however long this takes and so they've shifted the onus onto individuals. They don't even have the resources to properly look after the shielded.

Client, I look forward to hearing it!

Yeah that's another worry of mine - compound risk. If someone is considered high risk cause of health problems A B and C, they could potentially be at higher risk than those with a more "severe" case of problem A. Iyswim? Risk assessments are unfortunately based on numbers and not on real people.

It's not just your medical conditions. It's how likely treatment is to be successful, and that's a decision that drs make every day anyway.

Yep, and also how quickly. The guidance covers taking live saving equipment away from people who are improving but not as quickly as someone else might.

I dont envy the people making these decisions right now.

The list of conditions for which people should be shielding 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

If you have a condition on that list and have not received a letter or a text you can still register for assistance here:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

I hate my voice and I'm off to NC but here you go

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ptown/id1468694907#episodeGuid=1b5c0cde-0938-482a-a1cf-0a6748cea3d9

Great podcast, worth a listen if you or anyone else has chronic disease. And people you know may have one but haven't told you.

Just to update, my DH now has received a shielding letter (but had no texts - perhaps they are being sent out in waves?). He's not hugely happy about it and I can't see him not even going into the garden for 12 weeks (plus we don't have a spare bedroom for him) but we'll have to adapt as best we can...

Well my son is in the shielding group ( severe respiratory illness, uses oxygen , Bipap needs chest physio and suction all the time etc ) . The Gp has confirmed that but despite notifying the gov twice on their allocated website still no text or letter ! Sainsbury's have emailed to say the gov have identified him as vulnerable though so the system is a bit of a mess tbh No wonder people are confused,

@flapjackfairy your letter may be on its way - my DH got a similar text from Sainsbury's the day before his letter? The whole Sainsbury's thing is irritating as he got a link to click for allegedly priority slots - but the existing account we have is in my name not his so he's had to create a new account. Also we have a delivery pass on "my" account , but you can't buy one on any new accounts so delivery costs more! Although that's all academic as there are no slots currently available!

@Mazarinegreen
Go into your Sainsbury's account and change your name to your partner's.
No slots for Sainsbury's in my area.
They don't seem to have got their act together at all. Asda have been good.

Mazarine I am in the shielding group and am going into the back garden every day for my sanity! We have quite a big garden which is well fenced and hedged, so as long as I’m careful and don’t go near the borders with other gardens I think I should be safe. I interpreted the “you can open the window but do not leave your home” as loosely as I could, whilst being as careful as I can. Mental health is so important at the moment in addition to physical health.

@

Sorry!

I am also shielding (home oxygen etc) but using my garden. I cannot see why not, as I don't believe I am at any greater risk there. Plus there is evidence Vitamin D reduces risk of catching it.
I suspect it was worded like that to avoid those without gardens going to public green spaces....

Yes Oxcat I think that’s very likely. Glad I’m not the only one ‘rebelling’ in the garden!