Breaking news for shielding

[ClientQ]

Interesting. Sturgeon has tweeted to say strongly it does not apply to Scotland. It also mentions 10 weeks in the article so maybe an extension but with allowances to go outside?
More to be announced tomorrow apparently

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52862440

Surely people in the shielding category are actually taking advice from their respective medical teams and aren’t relying on the government’s mismanagement of this whole shambles?

We are shielding for a young family member (just to highlight the point it’s not just the elderly) and we’ve been completely led by the medics involved in our child’s care. They have advised one walk a day at a quieter time of day - but no stopping for sitting or picnics. No supermarket or hospital trips for anyone in the family (unless emergency/vital trip to hospital required) and no returning to school for the shielded child or their siblings - deemed to risky. Luckily we are currently WFH anyway. No chance on changing this despite the alleged new advice.

I’d rather go with the advice of the people who are involved in our child’s care, than blanket advice from a Government whom I fear don’t have a deeper understanding of this. Demonstrated by the instruction to GP’s to check DNR’s for the shielded group. Not really appropriate to ask about a DNR on a child - which happened within the community.

So while I’ll read the new guidance I won’t be acting on it, until it’s confirmed by our team that it’s safe to do so.

Seems haphazard to suddenly change the shielding advice when the R is still not great.

Massive easing on Monday (so much for 'slow' 🤬). Then tell the most vulnerable it's ok to go out now

My husband is in the shielded group and the rest of the household are shielding with him. So none of us have been out of the house or garden since mid March. We started before "THE letter" arrived and so it has been 12 weeks now. And sadly we are going to continue to do that regardless of any relaxations in the rules. We are so lucky to have each other, despite missing our children and grandson desperately, but for someone totally alone it must be hell. I admit the last few days of announcements that lockdown is being relaxed has been the most difficult time of all, especially when until today the shielded group were not mentioned.

However, with cases almost certain to rise over the next weeks, THIS weekend is probably the safest it is going to be. So for others who are desperate to see anything other than the four walls around them, I would think THIS weekend would be better than the next weeks and months for seeing someone.

Surely people in the shielding category are actually taking advice from their respective medical teams and aren’t relying on the government’s mismanagement of this whole shambles?

My husband is in the clinically extremely vulnerable group and hence shielding for all these weeks. Apart from three government letters, all saying the same thing, he has not been contacted by anyone medically at all. We did try and contact our GP on several occasions but as it was advice we wanted rather than an urgent medical problem we were unable to speak to anyone about it. And as all routine hospital appointments have been cancelled he cannot see his any of the hospital team / respiratory nurse either. So for us persoanally we have been very much alone and been making our own decisions throughout (well, easy decision he stays home and we stay with him).

I agree with poster up thread, that these fast and furious, "let's all get back to normal" announcements and pre-announcements, are a tactic that Boris is using to divert attention from Dom.

He wants everyone to get on with going about their own business as a distraction from Dom's business.

The trouble is, the minute he says"from whenever, you can do x, y and z", people start doing it all immediately.

He isn't lifting restrictions on x, then waiting to see the effects of that lift before he moves on to lifting restrictions on y etc etc.

Caution and patience will be my tactic.

@WeAllHaveWings

The cynic in me says it is laying the foundations to stop the support and home delivered food parcels.

I did have thoughts like that myself, and also worry that people will be pressured to go back to work.

I think there was an enormous outpouring of public support in the beginning towards the vulnerable but that enthusiasm is now wearing off.

Surely the advice has been changed because those who have complied with the shielding advice are at risk from those very restrictions. There is a toll to the physical and mental health to staying confined to such a restricted area for such a long time and walking outdoors is considered practically risk free in terms of exposure and risk of transmission? Many people who have been shielding have wondered why they need to stay cooped up when it was clear this was the case but they took it on faith that it was for the best. I welcome the new advice, I understand that everyone feels particularly cynical about the government and their advice but I think, of all the things we know about the virus, this is the least risky easing with the greatest benefit and it makes sense to me.

Oh great, so the shielded are to be allowed out just in time for the next peak, sounds like Bozo wants people to catch it.

How many people have caught it on a socially distant walk?

Bluebrian , Odd I thought that too , we'll have very little immunity , but he won't be blamed as we 'decided for ourselves' . I get the feeling he's developing Herd Immunity , by a different method . He may come across as a lazy brainless bumbler , but he and his advisors are being very devious . remember the PPI ,...we have X number of pounds put by .....well they may have but he didn't say they were going to spend it . Now they have thousands of trained people to do track and trace ..True , but trained in what, certainly not Track and trace

Shielded people have always been 'allowed out'. They weren't under house arrest, they were given advice. Some stuck to it, some didn't. Some will now take updated advice, some won't.

I am infuriated by use of the word "allowed" and Boris Johnson also using the word "captivity" in the press conference - perhaps he was trying to be light hearted but read the fucking room I don't think any of us are in the mood for shit jokes about this.

And, I swear to God the next time someone airily says "well it's only guidance you can choose to go out" I am going to lose my shit.

I don't comment on stuff I have no personal experience and understanding of (for example on MN step parenting or owning dogs and they are less contentious and awful than this) so why other people feel it's appropriate, or wanted, I don't know.

Unless you have received the letter/advice we did and live with a condition that means we needed to receive the letter, you have no fucking clue. A lot of shielded people live with life limiting conditions - how on earth do people think they can know what this feels like and are qualified to make pronouncements and give unwanted advice? Especially for those shielding children, I can only imagine what that feels like as I'm not in the situation despite shielding myself.

I said on another thread you wouldn't say to someone in RL "well of course you can choose to go out, nothing is stopping you except the very high risk of death if you catch it" which is what you are saying when you say "you can choose". It's minimising and belittling and shows a complete lack of understanding. I wish people would think about this before they speak.

If you are shielding and don't want to go out due to the risk, then don't. That's absolutely your choice to make.

However, there will be some people who are reading this thread who desperately want to go out but after reading some of these comments will think that they are doomed if they take one step outside. That's not true. The virus doesn't hang in the air. If you want to go out, find a secluded spot (they do still exist), keep your distance from other people and don't touch anything. Wear a mask if that makes you feel more comfortable. The chances of catching the virus are incredibly small if you do this. If you feel your physical or mental health will benefit from a walk, then go for it.

How do you all seem to know what r is in your area?

Why haven't people been in their gardens? I don't recall any advice to not go outside at all, just to stay at home. Your garden is part of that and my letter clearly says to get in the garden if I can do I do t know why others aren't doing the same? Nor do I understand those who say they are shielded but have been out for walks or drives. The risk with that is greater as I always worry about the possibility of having an accident or falling in when out and ending up in hospital where there is a far greater chance of contracting the virus. My asthma is more likely to be set off when out and about due to car fumes, for example so I wouldn't want to risk a asthma attack at this time. The problem might come for those off working during this who are known to be going out and they'd employers might not be too sympathetic or understanding of saying they can't go to work but are going out for drives or walks. I know it's not the same but employers aren't likely to see that.

"Nor do I understand those who say they are shielded but have been out for walks or drives. The risk with that is greater as I always worry about the possibility of having an accident or falling in when out and ending up in hospital where there is a far greater chance of contracting the virus"
You cant think like that though can you. The change of most people falling is incredibly slim. And so is the chance of having an accident in the car. If you think like that you could develop a phobia to ever going out.

@TabbyMumz I just googled it. Our local paper is reporting it's 0 82 in our area (but we've been quite badly affected)

I can't find a recent R rate for my area despite googling. The last one was from two weeks ago.

@TabbyMumz I get your point but I'm a single mum and all my children have which makes me particularly cautious. If I need to go to hospital I have no one to look after them. When it's safer to go out then we will be out but at the moment it's not a risk I'm willing to take.

@WeAllHaveWings

The cynic in me says it is laying the foundations to stop the support and home delivered food parcels.

I agree. we had a phone call this week asking if we still needed the parcels and if so, to re register on the govnt website. I did. But understanding the chaotic way this was handled in the first case, I wonder how many will miss the call/suddenly find themselves without food

@Bercows

Why haven't people been in their gardens? I don't recall any advice to not go outside at all, just to stay at home. Your garden is part of that and my letter clearly says to get in the garden if I can do I do t know why others aren't doing the same? Nor do I understand those who say they are shielded but have been out for walks or drives. The risk with that is greater as I always worry about the possibility of having an accident or falling in when out and ending up in hospital where there is a far greater chance of contracting the virus. My asthma is more likely to be set off when out and about due to car fumes, for example so I wouldn't want to risk a asthma attack at this time. The problem might come for those off working during this who are known to be going out and they'd employers might not be too sympathetic or understanding of saying they can't go to work but are going out for drives or walks. I know it's not the same but employers aren't likely to see that.

the original guidance said not to go outside at all. In fact if I recall it suggested not even opening the window of the one room you had to stay inside if you lived as part of a bigger household of people who may not be shielding themselves

Ah, ok. I didn't get my letter until later April so things had possibly changed by then.

I was in the first wave of letters and gardens/windows were encouraged.

I could cut my hand off making dinner. I can go out without meeting anyone. And if I do i can keep a good distance. I don't see how taking my dog a walk will make me catch covid

On Thursday Boris said he couldn't say when restrictions would be lifted and we would have to remain in our homes until the end of June.

Then late last night a brief tweet says we are allowed back outside again.

What has actually changed in the 48 hours between Thursday and Saturday to prompt this decision?

As regards gardens, I've checked and my initial text on the 23rd March says you must not go outside at all but you can open a window.

A text on the 26th March said you can go in your garden or sit on your doorstep for fresh air.

[quote NervousInYorkshire]@Madein1995 Unless your dad has been told to shield, then I suppose he comes under 'voluntarily shielding' and it's his personal decision.

What rule is your gran stickling to, @lyralalala ? I understand her only having contact with other people through the window (no face to face contact except for care, pretty much), but shielding people have never been told they can't use their garden (if they have one) - it explicitly says you can sit in your garden or on your doorstep as long as you keep 2m away from others. Has she misunderstood the shielding guidance?[/quote]
The original letter said not to go out. It said to open a window. Personally I think it meant people without gardens should open a window, but it didn’t actually say that. She’s very, very literal.

She’s not received any other letters since (though she’s had almost no post to receive any others and won’t listen to us saying the garden is ok) and we tried to get the GP to give her more sensible advice, but they just advised her to follow the letters and guidance.