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.

I'm in the same situation. I got the letter this morning and I had GD. I work in a hospital and am currently at work. My GP can't offer me a call back until Monday. I'm not sure what to do at the moment.

I’m in the same position - new shielding letter this morning. Bmi approx 33 (but was previously up to about 39 and probably would be on record at that with GP). Had gestational diabetes and high blood pressure when pregnant 6 years ago but nothing particularly concerning since. Nothing else obvious by way of risk factors. Just happy at the thought of getting a vaccine sooner!

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid

They can't be calling everyone with diabetes to shield though surely?!

I'm T2 and haven't had a shielding letter. Already had my jab too.

It’s because of the gestational diabetes

I’ve just read in another thread that things like gestational diabetes are being considered.
Or it could be an error: lovely reports yesterday of a reporter on The Liverpool echo experiencing the same. Transpired his height was recorded as 6.2 cm so he had a BMI of 28,000 🤣
His surgery checked the (non) reason for him.

Looks like its GD that's triggering them then. But bizarre to have GD as a trigger and not diabetes itself. If doctors can't help who cam answer this?

I reckon it's hd flagging, the trawl is done by a computer programme so probably picked it up. I would imagine you would know if you had something wrong, but I would ask to speak to your doctor rather than receptionist if you are worried.

Diabetics seem to be getting them too from Twitter/FB

Thank goodness I've found this thread! I've also had a letter but no idea why. Phoned GP as advised on the letter but they can't help. I also had GD but 10 years ago and all of my annual tests have come back clear.

Wow! Just checked and it seems an extra 1.7 million people just got added to the shielding list - mostly Diabetics! So this might not be a mistake.

www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus-shielding

[quote AngeloMysterioso]Well, GD is officially on the list...

digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment[/quote]
What’s confusing me is... are you at risk if you have GD or if you had GD? I’ve been in the clear since DS was born...

It could be (probably) diabetes combined with other factors such as postcode or ethnicity that meet the threshold for shielding. But people who formally had gd need some confidence that they haven't been swept up in an excel coding problem given that gd has kept remarkably under the radar as a vulnerability to date.

...Former gd...

I think with bmi its over 40 and that only makes you CV not shielding.

The letter I've just got explains that they are moving people from the CV group to the CEV group (i.e. the shielding group) because that's the easiest way to process them for vaccinations. I got invited to book a vaccination yesterday.

I had an email this morning too. Called GP and they were fairly sure it was due to past Gestational Diabetes (no other risk factors).
Am feeling a bit thrown but I guess hopefully it means an earlier vaccine, and I feel fairly confident I’m not high risk in reality as blood sugar levels are fine each year when checked. Still a bit of a shock to get the email though!

But they're vaccinating CV now ...

Shielding is quite a big ask - I would feel different about being asked to shield than about getting my jab (this weekend yay!)

Has anyone else here had GD and not had a shielding letter today? I'm worried I've been missed now. :/

Gestational diabetes. That's it.

My husband is T1 diabetic but nothing, which is surely worse than once having GD!

[quote AngeloMysterioso]Well, GD is officially on the list...

digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment[/quote]
Can you show me which page you took that screenshot from please? I followed the link but couldn't find the bit you posted and am keen to know as I'm type 1 and my sister had GD (no emails yet though)...

[quote AngeloMysterioso]Well, GD is officially on the list...

digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment[/quote]
Interesting, that also includes Asthma IE not Severe Asthma as was previously stated.

I had an appointment with my GP yesterday and she wanted to know what it was that made me ‘at risk’ but told her as far as I knew I wasn’t.

She delved into my file and said I had been marked as such due to having GD (baby born 3 weeks ago so no longer an issue thankfully). I was told that I might get a shielding letter and/or an invite for a covid jab because of it but that she had amended the file to show that I’m no longer at risk

My doctors just called me back and they confirmed they think it's the GD diagnosis but that you can be removed from the shielding list if you want to be and that it's a personal choice. Hope that helps

I had GD twice and now have actual diabetes. Also have a BMI over 30. No letter though, and no vaccine.

I work for a Surgery. We have been told it’s because you will of had high bmi( over 30) and high blood pressure / diabetes.
Please don’t ring the surgery we have no idea