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Covid

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Original poster

How long will shielding last?

9 replies

Glittercandle · 07/04/2020 22:44

Letters were sent a couple of weeks ago telling people to shield for 12 weeks, another wave of messages/letters are being sent today stating the same.

Realistically how long are people going to need to shield for? I personally believe it won’t be 12 weeks. Will we have to wait herd immunity has been achieved or a vaccine is developed?

OP posts:

scaevola · 07/04/2020 23:55

They said 'at least' 12 weeks, didn't they, when first announcing it?

Was the letter definitely without the 'at least' ?

I expect the shield time might be extended. If the rate of infection slows, then perhaps the recommendations might change to allow outdoors walks, but I can't see exceptionally vulnerable people being allowed indoors (other than their own homes, or medical facilities when really needed) for quite some time, possibly all the way to a vaccine, or a treatment breakthrough

Madhairday · 08/04/2020 00:06

Yes I think I've resigned myself to the fact that it's not going to be only 12 weeks. I've no idea what advice we will get after that and how long we'll be in shielding though. Maybe we might be able to go out while social distancing later in the summer/autumn but then possibly be shielding again by winter. Not going to be easy :(

PumpkinP · 08/04/2020 00:07

So how will that work if it’s a child that’s on the list? No school until a vaccine?

KatherineJaneway · 08/04/2020 00:08

I think it will be a series of lockdown and then raising lockdown rules for a few weeks then going into lockdown again for a while. Once lockdown ends, for those of us lucky enough to not have had it yet, we are ripe for infection.

Helenshielding · 08/04/2020 00:10

I think it will be extended. My letter was dated the 26th of march and said for 12 weeks.

Who knows what will happen with work for all these people shielding.

caringcarer · 08/04/2020 00:11

I have resigned myself to the 12 weeks in first instance, then most likely until rate of deaths is under control with contact tracing. Maybe October.

caringcarer · 08/04/2020 00:13

The problem is without a vaccine there could be another flair up at any time andxwe would just be under lockdown again. I have never appreciated my farden as much as I do now.

Original poster

Glittercandle · 08/04/2020 09:59

I wonder very much about schools too as DS (12) is shielding. They will be the last group of people to go back, if schools reopen in September I doubt they will be able to go back then until we see if that increases the rates of infection.

OP posts:

LoveBeingAMum555 · 08/04/2020 10:11

DS1 is being shielded, he has just spent most of the last 5 months in hospital and I have concerns about his mental health if he has to stay at home for too long. I wonder about other family members too. I intend to stay at home for 12 weeks if I can, but then what? I can't work from home indefinitely and if I start mixing with people surely the risk of me catching it will be high and that will put DS at risk. The future feels very uncertain at the moment.

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