Shielding program stopped

[Egghead68]

For anyone this affects, the shielding program was stopped for good yesterday.

They snuck this news out under the cover of the cabinet reshuffle.

Just a suggestion: (who am I, the thead police?), but maybe those of us who are actually directly affected by this issue should just ignore everyone else, or the derailers will get their (somewhat perverted) way.

So I'm only going to respond to those who are CEV, or are clearly posting in good faith.

I've reported the whole thread to MNHQ, so they can have a poke about.

Pfizer/BioNtech safe for five to eleven year olds just reported on the BBC. (For those with CEV children ).

MN has never been a 'safe space' for anything and the Coronavirus topic is downright dangerous sometimes
I think RL is a better place to find proper facts and speak to HCPs about concerns re shielding etc.

Totally agree with you - or failing that folk can always stick to the data threads, which tend to attract measured posters and sensible debate despite occasional attempts at scaremongering by the usual posters

There are some very anxious people on MN, and considering it exists to "make parents' lives easier" I'm not sure how deliberately inflammatory behaviour helps, especially when it gets to the point of searching out zombie threads to post yet more

Fortunately it's not compulsory to "feed it", but I appreciate that's not always easy for some

1 It is actually not very easy to get advice from HCPs as clinically extremely vulnerable people. They are overworked, appointments are scarce and they often don't know themselves when boosters will be available and so on. It will be even harder now that shielding has formally ended. It's quite nice to talk to other CEV people.

2 what zombie threads are you talking about??

3 "scaremongering" is a term often used to belittle genuine concerns about the pandemic on here, for example immediately before all the schools had to close in January. It's a really unhelpful term.

4 People who have been asked to shield for many months have genuine concerns about the end of shielding, that's not the same as "anxiety"

5 yes the data thread is good.

The data threads are good, but I've seen gunfights and flouncing on there too

BUNFIGHTS. Gunfights would be a whole different level of nuts, obvs.

"scaremongering" is a term often used to belittle genuine concerns ...

Very true, but rather than "genuine concerns" (which I fully accept) I'm talking about obsessive and very deliberate posting of a particular narrative, including the searching out of a zombie thread which I referred to

I'd rather not get more specific than that on the actual forum, since HQ asks us to take it up with them - which I've done

The data threads are good, but I've seen gunfights and flouncing on there too

Loved that I know you corrected it, but it was good all the same (even if it doesn't often get that bad!!)

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch

It was this *@Sparklingbrook*:

"I think RL is a better place to find proper facts and speak to HCPs about concerns re shielding etc"

It's patronising. We all have consultants, and are all experts on our own shitty conditions. Also, consultants are crazy busy, and often don't have the time/inclination to discuss these things with us. (This is my experience).

There is great value in talking to other people in our position, and it's quite hard to find them irl.

Your comment came on top of lots of other comments trying (for questionable reasons) to stop us talking about this.

It's very tiring, and we're all bloody tired anyway.

I am not trying to police the thread or stop anyone posting I joined the thread on Friday because I have a close relative with cancer who is CEV. I said they had their booster on Saturday arranged through the GP surgery because it might have been helpful to others. I am not being patronising either. I know how scary it is to be CEV.

Well, apologies to you, then @Sparklingbrook . There are posters on this thread who regularly come onto shielding threads to chide us, & I suppose I let them get to me, (which I have no doubt they're delighted about!).

MNHQ have said there's no obvious sock-puppetry, so there are - depressingly - several of them.

Sorry about your relative

Our GP surgery still says they have no info on third shot for the 500,000 most vulnerable.

It is good that some are receiving theirs, but that doesn't help those who are still stuck

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch -

[quote Tinydancer321]@MrsSkylerWhite do you see face masks as detrimental to people’s lives?[/quote]
I see face masks as detrimental to my life. They make communication even more difficult than it is without. I don't do eye contact but know it's expected, without a mask I can look at someone's mouth and it still looks like I'm looking at them while they talk. Mask over mouth and I'm forced to look on eyes so I can't look at whoever is talking to me and am thought rude.
I also struggle to understand meaning behind what's being said, it's hard enough to know if someone is serious or joking when I can see the whole face, only the eyes and I have no idea what emotion they are feeling.
Then I struggle with isolating a single voice from other noises around. Muffle that voice with a mask and again I don't stand a chance.
Then there's the tactile defensiveness which means I can't wear a mask myself without going in to sensory overload.
And no @herecomesthesun I don't have either ptsd or a lung condition. I have autism and mask wearing for 10min is very detrimental to my health. Would you like yo see the scars on my arms from where I've scratched them while trying to wear one?

Thanks @nether

People with autism are also exempt aren't they (I meant "& all other likewise exempt conditions" to be inferred from "PTSD or a lung condition or summat" but was trying to write informally. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear)

I think ASD is a very valid reason not to wear a mask.

I’ve just found this update on the coronavirus section of Gov.uk of all places - haven’t read it all yet. CEV and the derailers might like to have a read (although suspect the derailers will tune out after a couple of paragraphs).

I would also like to add that ANYONE could be one doctors appointment away from being in that category, and the life change it could make - not even in COVID times.

Living experience of disabled people during pandemic

@milesjupp. Thanks for trying!!

That's very interesting @Bleddyansum , thank you.

💪 @Egghead68

There are some very anxious people on MN

Which is why a support thread for those with valid reasons to be anxious about the end of shielding/no mask mandate/related issues is so important.

Just my opinion of course, but I think it might be more helpful to those with severe anxiety over wearing a mask to start their own separate thread.

It's very good news re the Pfizer trials on younger children. I believe that America is aiming to get them vaccinated by Halloween. Hopefully we will be able to start doing clinically vulnerable under 12s here soon too.

Today 11:54 Tinydancer321

@MrsSkylerWhite do you see face masks as detrimental to people’s lives?“

No. We wear them in all public places.

The problem I have is with extreme views. CEC people who seem honestly to believe that the whole population ought to lockdown forever to protect the minority.

That’s just never going to work if we all want some sort of workable society to return to.

My husband is CEV. He has a genetic condition that it’s thought around 350 people in England have. He, I, our adult son and daughter, SIL and now 14 month old grandson didn’t leave the confines of our property for 16 months so I (as a
perfectly healthy person who was confined nonetheless) get it.

Any infection, the common cold for example, can see him in hospital for a spell. At 63, it’s de rigeur for us now.

For him, at the end of the day, Covid is no better or worse than any other virus,

We could of course spend the rest of our natural lives behind our front door.

Alternatively, we can focus on the lives of our kids, trust in science and believe the vaccines are affording us good protection and embrace whatever time we have left.

That’s our choice and we choose to do it. Everyone else in this thread is able to make the exact same choice.

If you want to protect your own individual circumstances you are perfectly at liberty to do so. As we do,

You cannot in any good conscience expect the rest of the population to do so on your behalf ad infinitum. That’s beyond unreasonable.

No job should ever be considered a job for life. If changing circumstances beyond all of our control mean that you can no longer do your job safely, you need to retrain and adapt.

@Tealightsandd

There are some very anxious people on MN

Which is why a support thread for those with valid reasons to be anxious about the end of shielding/no mask mandate/related issues is so important.

Just my opinion of course, but I think it might be more helpful to those with severe anxiety over wearing a mask to start their own separate thread.

It's very good news re the Pfizer trials on younger children. I believe that America is aiming to get them vaccinated by Halloween. Hopefully we will be able to start doing clinically vulnerable under 12s here soon too.

I hope so, @Tealightsandd.

It was such a relief when DS finally got his jab.

If we can get DD vaccinated, we're that bit safer.

Such a relief for parents of vulnerable children, too.

@MrsSkylerWhite

The problem I have is with extreme views. CEC people who seem honestly to believe that the whole population ought to lockdown forever to protect the minority.

That’s just never going to work if we all want some sort of workable society to return to.

My husband is CEV. He has a genetic condition that it’s thought around 350 people in England have. He, I, our adult son and daughter, SIL and now 14 month old grandson didn’t leave the confines of our property for 16 months so I (as a
perfectly healthy person who was confined nonetheless) get it.

Any infection, the common cold for example, can see him in hospital for a spell. At 63, it’s de rigeur for us now.

For him, at the end of the day, Covid is no better or worse than any other virus,

We could of course spend the rest of our natural lives behind our front door.

Alternatively, we can focus on the lives of our kids, trust in science and believe the vaccines are affording us good protection and embrace whatever time we have left.

That’s our choice and we choose to do it. Everyone else in this thread is able to make the exact same choice.

If you want to protect your own individual circumstances you are perfectly at liberty to do so. As we do,

You cannot in any good conscience expect the rest of the population to do so on your behalf ad infinitum. That’s beyond unreasonable.

No job should ever be considered a job for life. If changing circumstances beyond all of our control mean that you can no longer do your job safely, you need to retrain and adapt.