To ask people shielding what you’d realistically what implemented to help?

[Cornana]

First off, I fully appreciate our government is an absolute farce at times and haven’t exactly been capable recently. That said, I keep saying (mostly on Facebooks) statements such as, “Clothes shops will be opening soon but the shielded still can’t go outside.” And getting annoyed that the shielded still have to stay inside, or are recommended too.

I understand it must be shit to see the rest of the world returning to ‘normal,’ but aside from having a vaccine and/or good treatment for COVID, what can/could the government actually do to make the situation easier for the shielded?

I understand long term financial support would help, but I’m interested in ideas of what people would like to be done, both practical and also in an ‘ideal’ world level.

True Toothfairy... what a lot of people forget is that people who are shielding are doing that not just to protect themselves but to protect others by not putting more pressure on the NHS..

I'd like clear information on the level of risk. My DH comes under the blood cancer catergory. He is five years in remission and was very surprised to get a shielding letter. In his Facebook support group there are huge numbers of people with and without letters. It makes it hard to decide how to go forward.

If it turns out that he really should be shielding, the thing we need is financial support, and clear instructions for partners and children. At the moment we are all off furloughed and quite jolly but we are worried about what happens with work and school.

Our ds is shielding and has been told he cannot leave the house even for a walk, but me and DH are still going out to work as we do not have to shield with him, even though I work where there is no social distancing and obviously as a child I can’t just leave him to look after himself and stay 2 metres away from him. So more clear information especially where children are concerned would be helpful.

What @morethanasong said
There seems to be a real mix up between vulnerable (elderly) and shielding (extremely vulnerable)
And people seem to think the ones shielding all have cancer or days to live or are disabled. I fall in to none of those categories and my life expectancy is normal

@BetsyJameson do you live on England? Because my letter says the whole family should take the full protective measures ie shield if the shielded person cannot stay two metres away amongst other things.
Obviously it’s your families choice, but as you asked about guidance that the guidance I have.

^in England

Im shielding.
My partner is shielding with me, his vulnerable but not in the shielded category.

We get food deliveries and we dont leave at all.

Delivery is left on doorstep, dont go out till after the driver has left.
All fridge shopping gets antibac wiped, and cupboard stuff goes into quartine for atleast 5 days, some stuff 7 days

Post / parcels also gets quartined.

Then wiped down with gloves on.

We don't open the door, its see through glass, so just shout through the closed door.
We have a sign on the door saying we are shielding and has my telephone number on it if they need to talk to detail

We have gloves, aprons and masks, at home, IF anyone has to come in, in an emergency for example
.....
The things i would like to see, is everyone wearing a face coverings and also to have to wash their hands with antibacterial gel before going into places, like shops

And things like restaurants, cinemas etc not open for awhile yet!

I'd also like to see a reassessment of who actually needs to shield. I received a letter, but as time goes on it has become clear that the level of drugs I take doesn't really place my at risk of COVID. My contrast, 60 year old obese men are out and about without a shielding letter.

And for those of us in rural areas, it is perfectly safe to go out for walks since you rarely pass anyone!

Thank you for this thread. My greatest fear was those who are shielding would be forgotten - and I think that has become partially true already, certainly in the media. My husband is severely clinically vulnerable (although quite well) and so all of us in the household have been shielding with him for over 12 weeks now (maybe more, we started before the letter actually arrived). Like the poster earlier none of us have been outside the house and garden at all, and all food deliveries and mail are disinfected and left before being touched. All of us have found the last few days really difficult as everyone else is getting a little more freedom - as I say mainly without a mention by anyone about those of us shielding. In a way I feel it's even more unlikely we could go out now, because there will be more people about, and as we live in a holiday resort town there will be many visitors. So the next weeks, maybe months will actually be far more dangerous to those who decide to emerge from shielding, than it was say last week or the week before. I'm not sure I can see any hope at all, unless we are prepared to take huge life and death risks for my husband. Sometimes I think we will be here forever and none of us will ever be able to emerge into society ever again. I know people will say "it is no life being inside", not understand why we have been so strict and encourage us to take a chance. But when it is a really a matter of life and death I am not sure I could ever gamble with my husband's life by doing that...and I won't let him either.

There is more coverage on the news today of shielding.

It now makes a story for the media.

I also saw GPs have been asked to look individually at shielding patients to make sure the advice is appropriate.

I'd like some advice on risk of socialising outside at 5m.

Still not sure if it's worth the risk of my Y10 dc going into school for a few sessions in June. It seems to me that us a bigger risk than joining in seeing our friends or family albeit at a greater distance.

I think we've got to remember the shielding letter is advisory. I was so grateful when my husband received his letter as prior to this I was so worried about him going to work. At least he was then placed on furlough. On the other hand as a HCP I have had to work throughout so we have had to adapt the advise as best we can. We take as many precautions as we can but are not following the strict rules in the letter. We decided we could not live like this long term. So while I have moved out of the bedroom and clean frequently we do sit in the same room etc. I think going forward each person and family are going to have to perform a degree of risk assessment for themselves

@cornish009

I totally get where you are coming from.

I was on the internet looking for cards and someone said to me
"Shops open on Monday, you can get them in person"

Erm, no, no i really cant.

Was then asked how long i plan to stay in for....

Like its really a choice at the moment.

Mmmm, i chose life!

@Baggiegirl

Yes it is advice and not law

But we have two options really...
Go out and risk dying...
Thats a pretty serious consequence!

www.itv.com/news/2020-05-30/lockdown-easing-for-coronavirus-shielders-prime-minister-announces/

Freeeeeeeedddddooommmm!!!!!

Or some approximation of it as, from Monday, it looks like we can legitimately go for a walk once a day (whist still dodging all the others) and meet with one other person if we live alone. Woohoo

But we have two options really...Go out and risk dying...Thats a pretty serious consequence!

Hang on in there, JustStayHome (great name btw!!). I agree and emphaise with every word you say. I know it's hard when others do not understand we are chosing life over death when we stay inside. It's even harder when we are forgotten completely. Hope you are lucky enough to have a safe garden you can escape to this weekend.