Extremely Clinically Vulnerable - thinking about January - WWYD?

[CancerCovidQuestion]

I am extremely clinically vulnerable because I'm having chemotherapy treatment for cancer. I have primary school age children.

The advice for ECV people is that we should stay home (except for exercise) but those we live with should go to school/work where applicable, obviously taking all the recommended precautions, and ECV people should remain socially distant from them at home where possible. Obviously there's a limit to how socially distant it's possible to be as the parent of young children.

So we're following the advice as best we can. But if at Christmas there's lots of household mixing, it occurs to me that the risk of the kids bringing covid home from school could suddenly increase in January.

There's a risk to me in terms of becoming seriously ill with covid, but also if I get it that will delay my cancer treatment which could have significant consequences for me.

So in January what would you do?

A. Nothing, take chances.

B. Keep kids at home (not straightforward, DH works full time and I am unwell)

C. Isolate from others within the house (ie keep myself in one room - not easy and also there's a DC birthday in second week of January)

Or do you think there won't be much of an impact in January? I haven't seen any clear research into whether primary aged kids can spread Covid, even if they don't tend to get ill with it themselves. If anyone is aware of any I'd be very grateful for a link!

Just to be clear, if there's a vaccine I can have then I will certainly have it at the earliest opportunity!

It's common to get the flu vaccine after treatment, so possible they would also recommend the covid vaccine too.

Sorry, it's really not what you need right now. I hope you get well soon.

@MRex thank you. Yes, I've actually been able to have the flu vaccine during treatment (carefully timed in the chemo cycle) but apparently the way the covid vaccine works is different. Not sure if that applies to all the different covid vaccines or just some.

I think it's all so new no one has definitive answers at the moment but fingers crossed!

We are currently homeschooling. I am ECV. There may have been some movement to support this in terms of school policy locally.

I'd hope in your situation they would consider you having priority for a vaccine.

I'd be tempted to keep the kids off for a few weeks in your place. The effect of millions of potential super-spreader events happening on December 25 should begin to show in hospitalisations not long after the kids go back.

It's a really good question. My Dad is ECV and I look after him on weekdays (he lives at my brother's house so weekends are covered) so I have to make sure our kids limit their contact with other people. Luckily their schools are much more organised re Covid than others I've heard about.

I think there are many in a similar situation of being ecv and thinking what to do in Jan due. I am erring on keeping my one home for the initial 2 weeks as risk will be higher. For the sake of a few weeks I think it's a good idea Op.

I think I had Covid in Mar and felt knackered for 3 weeks with headaches. I started an immunosuppressant in Oct and now wonder if I have Covid (just ordered test). Constant headache, chest feels crap. Even if its not Covid I cannot imagine how bad I could feel, I feel so much more vulnerable to bugs taking this, got my first cold sore in 20 years yest. So I would take all precautions, also in Jan immune systems are weaker as we are more into Winter. I feel the effects of not having had as much sun this Summer already. Also the bad flu season is Jan-Mar really.