Shielding group after lockdown eases - what will happen?

[Forgetcourgettes]

I just wondered what will happen to the shielding and vunerable group after lockdown is eased?

So if some places are opening again but just partially, do people who are shielding still have to shield?

I have a 17 year old dd at sixth form, a son aged 7 with complex needs and a husband who works. When they all have to go back to school / work they will and I will just have to do my best to clean things as best I can and basically hope for the best. I cannot put my life - and their lives- on hold for potentially a whole year or more.

I have Addison’s disease, moderate asthma, a microprolactinoma, anaemia, hypothyroidism and I’m prone to recurring kidney infections (they don’t know why, I’ve had scans etc, been on daily long term antibiotics since I was 14). I received my shielding letter last week. I have been going to the shops and out for walks and will continue to do so. I know others here will think that’s irresponsible of me. I have to balance my own mental health with the needs of my family. This could go on for a very long time and everyone needs to do what they feel is best in their own situation.

"No nursery will take a child on the shielding register and run the risk that they get infected."

My son is on the shielding register (for having a learning disability) and is still in special school. The decision about whether a child stays home or not is a personal decision made by parents looking at the overall needs of their child.

I’ve just had a call from a nurse at the GPs
to inform me that me and my 19 year old are now on the shielding list. We don’t have our spleens but are otherwise fit and healthy. I’m worried for him because he’s 8 months into a really excellent engineering apprenticeship which he’s worked so hard at and really loves and is at work even now (we haven’t yet received letters, just this phone call).

I’ve been going out for walks early in the morning with my dog when there’s hardly anyone around (and it’s easy to avoid people I see coming as we walk through woods and on a common) and I want to continue to do so. I’ve also been doing some shopping once a fortnight. All of this is a bit of normality and has been the only thing helping my mental health through lockdown so to now be told that we’re deemed high risk and that these things should stop has really shocked and upset me and the thought of not being able to live anything like a normal life for fuck knows how long is soul destroying.

@madisonavenue
I'd be inclined to keep on with the walks and knock the shopping on the head. That's what my husband is doing. He'd hate not taking the dog out. And it's very quiet around here. I do think that you have to use your own judgement. Especially as there will be no real hard and fast rules soon when the restrictions are lifted.

I am also shielding and taking the dog out for walks very early when nobine is around. I don't know what I will do about schools though. Dd is year 8 and won't stay with anyone else. I think I will have to send her in and try to distance around the house as best as I can.
I can't see shielding being lifted until there is a vaccine. I will stay in but can't expect her to.

I can see the vulnerable group just being told to go back to work. I’m not sure about the shielding group though-that’s more complicated.

Interesting to read the replies.

I’m on methotrexate and have 2 chronic health conditions. I also work in a school surrounded by 31 children in a small room.

I’m really scared about having to return to work but if I don’t I’m also worried about being paid. I’ve heard some mention having to shield until a vaccine but I don’t expect my employer to pay me since for this time and besides I miss getting out to work.

I work in a school and my childminder has a shielded family member. I highly doubt she will be able to provide childcare once I go back to work and so I will likely have to hand in my notice. We are trying to save every penny now to help as I can't really afford to lose my wage. I have a 3 year old with sensory issues so can't just find alternative childcare as he would need a very slow transition period.

I'm a shielding single parent. My employer refused furlough so my income has gone from a full time salary to benefits only.

I'm ok at the moment as I've got payment holidays on the mortgage etc., and the benefits I get is enough to cover food, utility bills etc.

I have no idea what I will do in three months time when I have to start paying for the mortgage if I can't go back to work. There's no state help until after 39 weeks and then it's just a loan to cover the interest only, so I'd be increasing the debt.

I don't want to lose my home, so I'd probably just risk it and go back to work but my job involves being among the general public (retail) so I'd be nervous about the risk.

I do think there should have been something more than just basic benefits for shielding people as I've had sleepless nights worrying about my finances.

I'm shielding and have decided that once the overall lockdown lifts I'll see family members on the proviso that we don't touch and all practice good hygiene. I won't be in work for the foreseeable future.

I can't put my entire life on hold while waiting for this illness to pass - but I'll take as many reasonable precautions as I can.

MadisonAvenue

I second a pp's advice to continue the early morning walks.

I'm going out late in the evening when no one is around (also shielding) so I don't go completely nuts

It's a balance between protecting your physical health and your mental health

How can it work if you’re a single parent who needs to work Bills don’t pay themselves
What if there’s never a vaccine. No one can stay home forever

Sorry posted too soon

To answer the question - God knows. The information coming through seems to change weekly

Personally I'm not sure I could cope with lockdown on a long term basis
It's just not practical

I think they will do a lot of work on who ‘really’ needs to shield. The original list was done very early on when much less was known about the virus and how it works. Eg it seems that asthma and pregnancy (for example) may actually not be as affected as originally thought.
I predict (.disclaimer based on nothing but my own opinion) that the list will be trimmed right down and after the original 12 weeks a lot of people will be shifted into vulnerable rather than shielding and told to basically be extra careful. With a much smaller shielded list hopefully there will be some kind of longer term support on offer.

We were on the vulnerable but not high risk list initially, and we still don’t appear on the high risk list.

Me again. I’ve just spoken to my GP and he thinks, that for me and my son, us being classed as high risk is a bit of an overreaction. We’re more susceptible to bacterial infections than viral which is why we take daily Penicillin and he’s just said to be sensible and to strictly follow the general hygiene/contact advice which is what we’ve been doing all along anyway.

@bellinisurge my DH is on the shielded list even though he only has very mild asthma which is thankfully well controlled with inhalers. He hasn't been hospitalised with it since he was a child, he has no other medical conditions so it must be because of that but we were surprised.

I thought the shielding list only applied to a very small group of people? Do you have to shield for mild asthma then? And learning disabilities?
I had no idea they were on the shielding list. Sounds like it actually applies to a very large group of people so surely we can’t all be expected to shield indefinitely?

1.4m in shield
Someone said 17m vulnerable

I am also surprised mild asthma and learning difficulties would be on a shielding list (although I understand they would be vulnerable). I think the shielding list is poeple on immunosupressants, some types of cancer and severe chest disease.

People with rare disorders with an increased chance of infection too (I fall under this one)

Learning disability is not on the shielding list but some GPs have made the decision to add patients with that disability to the list. We are being careful but we not shielding ds as the benefits for him are vastly outweighed by the disadvantages.

@BuyorRent that's what I thought, but he checked and they said that the shielding letter was correct, he should be staying in for 12 weeks

My 13 yo DD has cystic fibrosis and a type of diabetes linked to her CF so I doubt very much she would be removed from a shielded list going forwards.

I'm trying very hard not to think too far ahead as neither option is attractive- stay home indefinitely (but alive) away from all her friends and activities, or resume some kind of normality at the risk of getting seriously I'll.....

She also has an anaphylactic allergy to milk so has to carry an epipen at all times so even letting her out the house before lockdown was a risk

I thought it was only severe asthma on the shielding list? I haven’t heard that learning difficulties were.

We will have great difficulties reopening my school if those on the vulnerable group don’t come back. Covering the shielded ones will also be extremely difficult. We may need to replace them permanently if they are off long term.