How are vulnerable people still getting infected?

[mashainpink]

Genuine question and I hope I'm not coming across as goady in asking.

The death figures coming out of hospitals now is very worrying.

We know who the at-risk people are now. If you're old, with known underlying health conditions that are a contributing factor to hospitalisation/death with Covid, or obese, how are you even getting close enough to infected people to get Covid in the first place??

If I fell in to one of the categories above, you'd bet I'd be masked up to the fucking hilt. Limited contact with my household, not getting anywhere near 2m of other people, wearing gloves, masks, a face shield whilst I'm out, disinfecting all my shopping, asking to WFH (if I could).

Or are the majority of these hospital acquired infections? In which case hospitals need better infection control?

Or have very old people had enough of shielding and taking the risk of death because they'd soon die of boredom/loneliness?

Or is it something else I'm missing?

Here's an example for you. My brother visited my elderly mum in her care home and took off his mask because she badgered him to do so. She does the same with me but I don't take it off. My stupid, inconsiderate, entitled brother, and my mum, don't think the rules apply to them.

@Letsgetgoing123 - they've no idea. It was probably a delivery driver or care worker, or it could have been on the surface of anything they've had delivered, apparently the virus can last on some surfaces for several says.

NDN is Next Door Neighbour. My DH usually does their bins, they said not to until they're better as they don't want to infect us but they didn't put them out this week. So, we're going to get disposable gloves as they obviously aren't managing. They're both so nice, it's awful.

"If you're old, with known underlying health conditions that are a contributing factor to hospitalisation/death with Covid, or obese, how are you even getting close enough to infected people to get Covid in the first place??"

well, people have to live! I know a couple of people with shielding letters - advice, not law - who just lived as the rest of us did in full lockdown.

What is ECV please?

I was put in the high risk category and advised to shield during lockdown (which I did). For context I'm a young adult in late 20s living in London. The shielding advice helped me stay at home and work.... but as soon as that was lifted they demanded me back. No choice to WFH or even a few times a week.

I went from not leaving my house to getting on 4 trains a day and sitting in an office of people who frankly couldn't give a fuck if they didn't wear a mask around me. I will always wear a mask, wash my hands and sanitise where possible ... but to live in this isolated bubble of washing EVERYTHING and staying away from friends/family and work is IMPOSSIBLE ! to think it's the vulnerable peoples fault they are still getting sick is ridiculous & horrible

I'm vulnerable. Have only seen MIL and my dad once a month outside at 4 meters distance. I live a very lonely life at the moment to keep myself healthy. However, I need to go to the hospital every two weeks where I'm being scanned and prodded by around 8 different people every time due to a high risk pregnancy.

I need the public to stop spreading covid so they don't spread it to the people caring for me so I don't get it. I can't live totally isolated because I need medical care.