Just received a shielding letter but no one knows why!!

[theviewfromhalfwaydown]

I’m freaking out a bit that there’s something wrong with me I don’t know about. I received a shielding letter but have no idea why I have it. I’m slightly overweight but haven’t been weighed by a dr in 10years and that was just after I’d given birth to my youngest. I have no underlying health conditions I know about and I’m only 38. All I can think of is that I had gestational diabetes but that was years ago. I’ve already had the first jab as I work in healthcare but I’m worried they know something I don’t. I’m not going to shield as I don’t think I need to and I want to work but it’s still thrown me quite a bit.

Partha Kan*

I’ve received the same email, after a little research on NHS website I have worked it down to having GD in the past. They actually state ...
‘Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (glucose) that develops during pregnancy and can resolve after giving birth. Women with gestational diabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes or having undiagnosed diabetes.

Patients with current or past gestational diabetes have been identified in combination with other factors by the QCovid model as being potentially at high risk from COVID-19.
This is a correct output of the population risk assessment powered by QCovid, and is in keeping with the clinical pattern of COVID-19 disease.

Therefore, in keeping with the precautionary approach that we are taking to shielding, some people who have had gestational diabetes have been correctly identified as potentially high risk.
Patients with a history of gestational diabetes who have been advised to shield, but feel this is no longer relevant, are able to contact their GP for further advice. GPs are able to evaluate a patient’s risk with the most up to date information using the clinical tool, and remove them from the SPL if necessary.’ Full link digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment/population

Hope this helps, perhaps it’s worth having the annual blood test to confirm still negative before taking yourself off the shielding list. 🙂

I’m not going to bother my GP with it and my annual HbA1C is up to date and always fine, normal BMI, not a deprived area etc. I didn’t have GDM in my most recent pregnancy, just the first one. I absolutely understand the reasoning that previous blood sugar issues may increase risks with covid and I don’t think it’s daft to take that into account even with women who have had no further problems. In my own situation, weighing up the practicalities of shielding on top of the everyday minimising of risks we are doing, with my current good health and lifestyle, I’m not going to make any changes following the notification. I can easily see how my medical record would have been included in this, and in some ways I’m happy to have it flagged up for me to consider as a risk factor.

What is really unhelpful is having to deduce via Internet forums and the depths of the NHS website etc that this is the likely reason for being sent a shielding email. Without seeing these threads I would have been baffled.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56130317

Not sure if anyone’s shared this but I’m now even more confused what to do. I’m back to work on Monday.

The thing is, if there had been a link made between previous GD specifically and covid death, I cannot imagine we’d just be rolling this out in ENGLAND!? There are millions of women across the rest of the UK and the globe in the exact same situation carrying on as normal.

It MUST be precautionary.

Thanks @theviewfromhalfwaydown that summarises the NHS website info, doesn't it.

@doireallyneedaname They say it's precautionary. But also NHS England obviously can't dictate policy to the devolved governments' health departments.

The only thing which I feel is clear from all of the info is that if you have only had GD and have no other risk factors then you are not at increased risk.

I think I may be just worrying too much. I work in a environment where I get spat at and bitten quite regularly as well as my paper mask getting ripped off multiple times a day so I’m a bit anxious as it is. I’m sure I’ll be fine once I go back.

Does anybody know the baseline for being put on the Shielding List used on the calculator? I can't seem to find the information anywhere.

@FoxtrotSkarloey Of course not, but if data showed that a history of GD was of significant importance I cannot see how England would be the only nation to pick this up and roll it out. I’m genuinely starting to think it’s more due to their failing to ensure all postpartum GD mothers have been checked for type 2, so it’s guesswork as to which of us are at risk or not. With the added risk of type 2, even someone that had a clear blood test a year ago could now be diabetic and none the wiser. Logically speaking there is absolutely no way a history of GD makes you more vulnerable than someone living with diabetes today.

A friend of mine has just had the same letter, again had gd years ago. She’s a frontline nhs nurse and jabbed. She’s worked all through the pandemic and apparently is supposed to stay at home until the end of March? Work are asking her to ignore it. I can see this affecting a lot of front lines nhs staff. Don’t quite understand that it doesn’t matter if you are vaccinated. Apparently that is the same for all shielders?

@bumblenbean

If you can access your record online, see what status your GD has. When I checked the ‘conditions’ section of mine, the very first thing under ‘active’ was GD - despite the fact this was in 2018! So I wonder how significant it is if the doctor doesn’t close down the condition when resolved ..

My marker wasn’t closed for six years and was only closed when I received a glaucoma letter and I queried it.

There are a lot of women whose GD marker won’t have been closed off.

I’ve still had the letter though even though I checked my record.

@doireallyneedaname Agree! Incomplete data and plenty of hypotheses.

@Longroadahead08

NHS have a National Diabetes Database. It is ran by NHS digital and holds information regarding regional statistics relating to diabetes diagnosis and treatments. Its confidential and can’t be accessed by the public. It’s possible a letter may have been sent to people who have had a previous or current diabetes diagnosis.

This is really interesting thank you.

I received an email to shield, but have actually just had COVID, so not sure how I can say to work (a nursery school) that I've got to have 6 more weeks off in case I catch it, when I've already bloody had it!

I can't seem to find any advice about this situation, my GP knows nothing and is supposed to be getting back to me, and my headteacher is saying if I choose to ignore it it will need to be decided by HR due to liability/insurance and I'll have to sign a disclaimer.

@theviewfromhalfwaydown What's confusing about the article? Clearly says GD alone is not enough to trigger ECV but when combined with other risk factors it is. So if you have been told to shield etc then do, if not then don't.

Cheerful reading isn’t it

The absolute risk of a COVID-19 associated death is 1 in 5128.

This is in rank 73 out of 100, where 100 is most at risk.

@Boobahs from what I researched - antibodies decline with time, plus each persons body produces different amount of antibodies, you can have it more than once

@CornishTiger With what conditions?

Mine is 19/100 as it stands currently but if I add type 1 (assuming GD) and my historic BMI it’s around 50/100

Makes no sense.

Really high BMI and type 2. Should I be putting type 1? Reduces it a little.

The absolute risk of a COVID-19 associated death is 1 in 10753.

This is in rank 64 out of 100, where 100 is most at risk.

No diabetics at all makes it.

The absolute risk of a COVID-19 associated death is 1 in 43478.

This is in rank 45 out of 100, where 100 is most at risk.

@CornishTiger Sorry, I meant type 2 - was a typo.

I actually think it’s quite dangerous they’ve let people access this with no explanation or understanding of how it actually works. It sent me into such a panic that my monthlies have come on a week early!!

Just read the below. The last point in particular is interesting, especially where GD and BMI is involved.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/covid-19-primary-care-resources/guides/mental-health/qcovid-risk-calculator/

If you repeat the calculation in primary care you may not get the same result because:

The central search uses both primary and secondary care data

If there is information missing a default will be used – Black African for ethnicity, male for sex and 31 for BMI (this is a precautionary approach to ensure risk isn’t under estimated)

The patient may have had a diagnosis added/removed from their notes since the central search was done

I say interesting, because if the search was done before a doctors visit, then I’m guessing it would use old information. So my BMI wasn’t changed from 31 to 22 until November 2020. If this was generated before that, then it would still hold 31 and this coupled with historic GD would trigger me.

Saying that, as with most systems like this you’d expect to be able to refresh before roll out but who knows how it works.

Tbh it sent me into a blind panic earlier this week but I’m over it now.

I’ve worked at greater risk all through pandemic, my job has just changed so I’m less front facing. I’m just going to carry on. ( and lose some bloody weight cos I want to be heavy!)

Healthy not heavy!!! 😂😂😂😂😂