"Shielding"

[TryingToBeBold]

Can someone explain to me the requirements to this in layman's terms?
I'm not being naive.. but all I keep seeing on here and on facebook is
"Oh no I couldn't possibly go anywhere as I'm shielding for 3 months"
"So frustrated after shielding since March"
"Stuck in these 4 walls #day120303ofisolation"

No disrespect and I'm sure people are fearful for their health.. but is there any reason why they can't go for a walk?
Round a field? Without a gate?
Sidestep 3 metres away should they see anyone?
Exercise gently outside?
Social distance meet friends and family (3 metres to be even more careful)?

Just because you're shielding do you really have to be confined to 4 walls and (maybe) a garden?

Just to add.. my mum should be shielding but is going about her normal business with social distancing just like most of us (yes I've spoken to her, yes she knows the risks, no she isnt stopping)

[Toddlerteaplease]

No, he didn't get it from the hospital. I'd only just admitted him from A&E. until a few days ago all admissions were going to another area until their results cane back. But some bright spark decided that that ward needed to be repainted. So the surgical admissions have come direct to us while waiting for results. Its not working particularly well.

[TryingToBeBold]

@cookiemonster5

I did say "if possible" in a later post

And twice (three times) now I've also admitted I was wrong in thinking this was an option for everyone

[Chesneyhawkes1]

The separate rooms bit is the only bit I showed DH. He snores and disturbs my sleep.

I have had 4 blissful weeks with him in the spare room and our bedroom and en-suite to myself 😊

[CherryStoneTree]

The risk is is that you won’t be able to step 3m from other people if walking. That if you go for a drive and have a break down/car crash you’ll be in contact with people.

Great that the risk you mum has decided isn’t big, others are being told to not leave their house to go into their garden. Well don’t for shouting them down.

[CherryStoneTree]

Actually OP, maybe you’re my brother writing “shielding” in air quotes rather sarcastically. Enjoy walking around not being afraid for your life.

[TryingToBeBold]

I've clearly seen tonight that for some people.. this is possible. And they are taking the risk.
For others it's not. And therefore they are not

[Flamingofolie]

TryingToBeBold you may not mean to sound dismissive but you are. We're not staying at home because we're precious and going above and beyond guidance.

[Flamingofolie]

And yes, the quote marks are what makes it so bloody condescending.

I'm 32. I have to avoid treatment with high flow oxygen and also happen to be asthmatic with lung damage. So getting covid isn't in my best interests. It may not kill me, but I'm not keen on pulmonary fibrosis and neither are any of my consultants.

[TryingToBeBold]

@CherryStoneTree
I put it in quotation marks because I've seen on this site people who are shielding.
But not.
They're going out doing shopping. Seeing friends and family. Family are shielding but not.
It's a loose term for some people.

I'm not explaining the ins and outs of my life.
My household has it's own risk factors but yea.. I dont give a shit and have no fear

[Flamingofolie]

I've tried taking my dog for a walk. People insist on speaking to me, patting my dog. On other threads we are being told to stay at home, not tell others to keep their distance.

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

I've clearly seen tonight that for some people.. this is possible.

Some people don't understand the risk, see the advice is "only advisory" and therefore not really important

Some people cant afford to shield.

Some people still think the danger from covid has been overstated.

Some people think that if their going to die they rather go out

A few will have assessed the risk as low. Noone I can think of though

[TryingToBeBold]

If I wanted to be called condescending dismissive and have arguments I'd have posted in AIBU.
None of them were my intention.
If you dont ask you don't learn.

I have my own risks. My own concerns. And I've made my own judgement to the best of my ability for my family. And I can see that's what people have done (and their reasons... even if some aren't following it as closely as others).
I would happily explain them to anyone who asked rather than call them dismissive or condescending for asking.

Forums are hard to get tones across.
Absolutely sweet FA I can do about that.

[Flamingofolie]

[TeensArghhhh]

I’m on the shielded list OP.

I have been out, to walk the dog. I live in a rural area and walk my dog very early morning, late at night and somewhere in the middle. Very rarely do I meet anyone else and if I do I give them a wide berth.

If I had not had chance to get out for some exercise over the last 10 weeks I would be now

A. Fat
B. Suffering with poor Mental Health

I had to go to a supermarket once. Never again! I have never felt so unsafe. Why can’t people follow simple rules like...... follow the arrows? They are clearly marked. I don’t blame the supermarkets. They have done their best. People are just blatantly selfish!

[TheHobbitMum]

I'm shielding and I am staying indoors and not leaving the house as I am very aware at best I'd be severely ill with covid. I can't/won't stay away from my husband and DC because it just wouldn't be possible in my small house and as we're all staying home we felt the risk for that was minimal.
I've had about 10 phone calls from my various6 consultants and my GP and 5 calls from the NHS shielding service to make sure I am fully aware of the consequences and risks to me of I catch Covid. I feel it would be completely irresponsible to be out and about shopping/picking up prescriptions etc when I know the risks, it wouldn't be fair on the NHS and certainly wouldn't be fair to my family.

I would absolutely love to not have to shield and I'd love to be able to go back to work. At the moment my work will not allow me back until the shielding deadline lifts at the end of June.

I fully expect the 12wks will be extended, I am conflicted because I know its what's best for me but I dearly love to be able to walk around Tesco, collect my prescriptions or be working right now. Everyone who I know that is shielding would love to not have to be

[TheHobbitMum]

I can also add that my mental health has suffered greatly and the lack of exercise is making me fatter, it's not fun at all

[SudokuBook]

Shielded people in the extremely vulnerable group aren’t supposed to go out at all. It sounds really tough. However I suspect that as well as those who are in that group there are also people who are choosing to shield and they probably could go out if they chose

[SweetMarmalade]

I’m in the shielding group.

I’m very lucky as I live next to open countryside so I’ve gone out for a walk at least 3 times a week, often not seeing anyone but if I do easy to distance from them.

Dp has had to go back to work and when schools reopen Ds will be going back to school, for him this will be from Sept onwards. We can’t social distance in the house, impossible, so we have to just take all the necessary precautions, lots of hand washing, clothes changed (in dp’s case when he comes home from work etc)

We weren’t lucky enough to get any supermarket slots so Dp has continued to shop for us. Our local supermarket has actually been very good with the continued social distancing organisation. I’ve been only a couple of times, timed right there is hardly anyone there. I don’t necessarily like going in if I’m honest but again, stringent hand washing etc

I’ve had to go to my GP surgery for a blood test and hospital for treatment since lockdown. Admit that I was nervous about this but all very well organised and went smoothly.

I was working right up until lockdown, I’ve always had to be stringent with hand washing etc due to my meds, so this current new regime isn’t alien to me. I’ve had to distance myself from those with cold symptoms etc for the past few years and despite one awful cold at the end of Jan/Feb (which may have been Covid? Who knows) I’ve done really well.

I will follow the government guidelines with regards to returning to work, it’s currently June 30th, regardless of when you received your letter and then I’ll go from there. I think they may know more about Covid by then, track & trace might be a way for shielded and vulnerable people to make choices as to their current risk of returning to society etc as I believe there will come a time when you can see outbreaks in your area? Or if the R numbers rises etc?

[Egghead68]

I’m in the shielding group. I live in a small flat with no outside space. I’be only been out for emergency hospital appointments.

OP. You are lucky you are not in this category.

[NotAnotherUserNumber]

@TryingToBeBold Lots have people have answered already, but in case you want another personal answer, here’s mine.

I am shielding and have only been outside my flat a couple of times. I live on a very busy road in London and it is very hard to go outside at all without walking near lots of other people, many of whom don’t appear to be following the rules at all.

To go to a big park I would normally take public transport, so this isn’t an option. I could try to walk to the small park near my flat, but on the occasion that we did, it was full of groups of people not social distancing at all.

We don’t have a car, so I can’t drive somewhere else to go for a walk.

Many Londoners (which is a large percentage of the population) live like this. Imagine you live somewhere like in this photo and you can probably see the problem:
www.alamy.com/stock-photo-council-flats-london-19934833.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=D187E033-7A56-46F2-A73B-92DDE421A760&p=63490&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dlondon%2520council%2520flats%26qt_raw%3dlondon%2520council%2520flats%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

[SistemaAddict]

Week 10 for me now. I was self isolating then shielding before I got the letter for 5 weeks. I would love to be able to go for a walk with my dc. Or a bike ride down the disused railway line nearby. My neighbour says it's packed down there at the moment whereas it's usually pretty quiet except on sunny weekends. On a 12 mile bike ride on a week day I'd normally see about 10 other people in total. My days of doing that seem a lifetime ago now. It was my sanity that bike ride. I usually walk 5 miles a day too. I'm amazed I still fit in my clothes 😩 I'm not prepared to do anything that unnecessarily puts me at risk of catching the virus. My dc have only got me and they need me to be alive.

[Jourdain11]

I don't think OP @TryingToBeBold is being dismissive. I think it's very hard to get one's head around unless you're actually in that situation.

I can actually imagine that there are some people who have been told to shield, who may feel that they are okay to "interpret" the guidance a bit. For example, the husband of a friend has been told to shield because he has poorly controlled diabetes. In his case, he felt it would be worse for his health to be inside all the time not getting exercise.

I am having chemo for AML, plus live in a busy part of London, so it seems stupid to take the risk. Plus it would be massively unfair to my family and the NHS staff who are working so hard to treat me. Luckily, I'm feeling so ill at the moment that I have no particular wish to go out. I think later it will get harder 😂

[NoNamesNoPackDrillHere]

Out of interest //**@TryingToBeBold*, what would your feelings be about if your mum was going through chemo, and coronavirus was out of the equation?

[TryingToBeBold]

@NoNamesNoPackDrillHere

That she would still need to be cautious.. when she went through it first time in 2017.

[NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite]

Shielding for 12 weeks is just strongly advised for the extremely vulnerable group. it isn't mandatory and, if people wish, they can take the decision to go out and shop for food or medicine or travel to exercise should they desire. The Govt are just urging them to stay in to prevent them dying if they do catch Covid-19.