did people actually shield

[Sheilashielder]

I live in an area where shielding was only paused in October and reintroduced in January and wa never allowed anything other than a few weeks where you could mix outside but not in gardens and a couple of weeks where you could mix in gardens. I’ve been seeing lots of posts saying people have “pretty much” shielded for a year and Anecdotal evidence from people o know suggests not many people actually followed the guidance at all who are now saying they’ve barely left he hosue for a year

I do think it’s interesting how people seem to have different perceptions of risk. For me popping into our local quiet Tesco early in the morning, wearing a 3 layer mask and keeping well away from everyone is a risk I am willing to take as I feel its low risk. I can’t stand online shopping as I like to select the fruit and veg I want and I like to browse and see if there’s anything I fancy. Small enjoyment in my otherwise boring life! Apart from that and the occasional trip to the (also near empty) post office that’s all I’ve done. I appreciate thats not shielding - I have the shielding letter etc etc.

If I lived in London or somewhere busy I’d probably have a completely different attitude.

I have a friend who constantly posts about people not obeying the rules, telling everyone to stay home etc but her children are still mixing with various people (seen photos she posts online) and she regularly goes for busy dog walks and posts photos of her chatting away to others much closer than 2m apart etc no masks etc. And yet she would be very quick to moan at me for making a non essential trip to Tesco for some chocolate...!
(And I do know how moany I sound saying that, we’re not close friends)!

We've been shielding since March last year. We haven't been shopping or to anyone's house since then. The only places we have been to are the gp surgery and hospital appointments. When shielding paused in August, our grown up children visited for weekly socially distanced meetings in the garden. That stopped when shielding resumed in November and we haven't seen a soul since. Once per week we go for a drive because the car needs a run otherwise we don't leave the house. We can't go for walks because I can't walk more than 20m. I'm not sure how much longer I can cope with living this way.
Meanwhile, I see so many people just carrying on as normal and denying that covid even exists.

I've been shielding since last year I was having chemo so needed to leave the house for that and my consultant advised me to walk daily because it helps the tiredness accociated with chemo. When shielding was lifted I still didn't go out much I had one meal out with my husband who also shielded with me (his work was brilliant) I took the kids to school . When I started radiotherapy in October I tested positive about a week in. I was ok with minimal symptoms. But have been advised to carry on shielding this time round so I have I've took the kids on daily walks but I've not been shopping or anything else my husbands work offered to let him shield again to protect me but we decided it wasn't needed this time because I've had it and my first vaccine

My mum has left the house five times since march.

1. To visit sister's grave
2. Flu jab
3. Covid jab 1
4. Covid jab 2
5. Drs for an infection.

Personally I go to work everyday but other than that, I've only been out the house (other than exercise and to drop off parents' shopping in the garden - garden) about 4 times since March

If anything I know the opposite. Loads of people who are in the very broad "vulnerable" category who feel the need to shield despite not being required to. Mostly working age people who have requested furlough for this reason.

People have shielded - and often beyond August. I was arranging a meeting with someone local just before the November lockdown and said lets meet face to face for a coffee in a park when we can, and she said no as she was in a shielding household and wasn't meeting anyone, indoors or out. So yes they have gone beyond government guidance.

Others thought it was the law that they stay in, rather than just guidance.

I also know people who were told to shield and said no way and were just careful but didn't eg stop going out for exercise or meeting family in a big garden.

I shielded within the advice of the letters, which fluctuated across the year.

My dad has been shielding since March. He went to the pub once during the summer. The only people he's seen apart from that is his girlfriend who he's in a bubble with, and me taking him his medication, doing his cleaning for him, taking him to hospital appointments and to his surgery appointment.

Infuriatingly the hospital wouldn't provide patient transport for his surgical appointment. However advised me not to bring him either. Their suggested alternative was bus or taxi. Like fuck!

Afternoon, everyone. Just popping in to let you know we've moved this thread over to the Coronavirus topic.

I am cev and I am shielding .I normally work full-time in the community and I hate being stuck at home and finding the guilt of being at home really difficult .I know that if I caught covid it could be really bad for me but still doesn't take away the guilt. I live rually so if I did want to go for a walk I can do safely but I don't go to the shop in our village or anywhere else .I Start my car every couple of days and have great friends who keep me sane and home schooling. But the social side I am really missing.

I don't think that's correct @WTAFIhavelosttheferret

Welsh government guidance is clear that 'Shielding' applied to cev people in Wales between march and August last year. But as I said, this is about terminology more than anything. People may choose, understandably, to take extra precautions but it's not mandated.

I've shielded for most of the year. I shielded really extremely at first for about 4 to 5 months, living upstairs in my room away from the family. Then a bit of time off when paused in August and September, started again on advice of consultant at end of sept and another letter in November and just the other week, now shielding more extremely again with no physical contact with dh and dc. Very CEV and just not worth it, holding on for the vaccine.

@Sheilashielder

For anyone that thinks I’m being judged or mean spirited not at all. I have shielded and followed the guidance. It’s been awful and has taken its toll on my mental health. It’s more when people who say they have been shielding clearly haven’t makes me feel like others will think I haven’t properly. No judgment here but if you aren’t supposed to leave your house then going round to various other peoples isn’t shielding and I don’t think if you’ve not followed the guidance you can say you’ve been shielding for a year. I don’t know what I want to get out of r

I’m sorry but I don’t understand what you mean.

I’ve followed shielding guidance. Where I live, it was paused in August. I was certainly more cautious than others over the summer but I visited my grandparents inside, for example. How is that not following guidance?

In some areas, people may have been advised by the government to shield non stop since 23 March 2020 but most areas had some breaks. Therefore, it was ‘shielding’ by choice. I’m not referring to people who were given specific and personalised advice by HCPs, just people who decided they felt safer to continue shielding. I pass no judgement on people choosing to shield (without medical advice) when it was paused, so why pass judgement on me?

Yes. My husband is CEV, my son is CV. I’m fit and healthy and all I want is to see my 6 month old grandson. I’m hoping to be vaccinated by the summer.

My FiL is ECV and has not set foot out of house since March. Nurse came to his house to do flu jab and take bloods for cancer/white blood cells test. He is getting much worse and some days does not even want to get up. The other day mil said he looked close to tears and said she wonders if he will live long enough to leave the house again alive. Over 80 CEV and still waiting for Covid jab.

@ArosGartref

I don't think that's correct *@WTAFIhavelosttheferret*

Welsh government guidance is clear that 'Shielding' applied to cev people in Wales between march and August last year. But as I said, this is about terminology more than anything. People may choose, understandably, to take extra precautions but it's not mandated.

In England my DH and DF were both declared ecv and received shielding letters at the start of lockdown1.

My DH did not receive a 2nd letter in a=August- with the advice nationally that if you if not receive a 2nd letter shielding was paused. Interestingly his medical records show a date of May 2020 when an update was made on his record that he no longer needed to shield but that wasn't communicated.

My DF received a letter in August saying that he needed to continue to shield. He has since had 2 more letters and some texts telling him to continue to shield- one of which basically said do not step out of the house.

Yes, there are differences between the devolved nations. I really have no idea what happened in the other nations because my only experience is of my MIL. I don't know if this accounts for the differences OP has observed.