CEV people, how are you feeling about today's announcement?

[SmashingBIouse]

No masks/self isolation to end in the near future etc

I fully understand that restrictions can't go on forever but I admit I'm a bit nervous. I'm considering pausing my immunosuppressant drugs for a while, until case numbers decrease (they're still over 2k per 100k here). There's a teacher in my household whose school currently has six teachers and countless students off with covid but no masks from tomorrow! Plus DH will have to go back to the office on crowded public transport.

I'll phone my consultant tomorrow, see what she says. I was advised to pause when Omicron cases were going through the roof here. I'm worried about what the lack of meds is doing to my body though (I have an autoimmune condition).

How's everyone else feeling?

I am CEV (on two immunosuppressive meds for Crohn’s) and I am personally fine with restrictions being removed.

@linelgreen

Life needs to restart we cannot carry on with restrictions that are damaging businesses and the economy. Those who feel they cannot face this will have to make their own decisions about how many restrictions they decide to retain fir themselves.

Are you CEV @linelgreen ?

I have a CEV older teen son, he has Down Syndrome as well as a couple of underlying conditions. He’s currently not at school until he has had his booster early February.
I’ve come to terms with the fact he’s going to catch covid at some point, he’s been offered the anti virals with 24 hours of testing positive and we have a priority pre registered PCR at home.
He has 3 years left at his fantastic school, I want him there, having fun, living his what might be his short life to the full. I’m sick of the worry and stress, I love him so much but we can’t keep hiding at home forever, it’s no life for either of us.
Once he’s boosted I’m sending him back out into the world and keeping my fingers crossed. Not much else I can do.

I'm working again, but I'm much more restricted in what I'm able to do. I've found jobs that are mainly outside, or where there is lots of space and good ventilation.

I'm now unable to work in my field of expertise. I'd been doing the same job for twenty-five years, and have had to stop, as it's very high risk. As a result, I'm now earning a great deal less.

That's me "just changing jobs". It's shit.

@Newyearnewme2022

I have a CEV older teen son, he has Down Syndrome as well as a couple of underlying conditions. He’s currently not at school until he has had his booster early February. I’ve come to terms with the fact he’s going to catch covid at some point, he’s been offered the anti virals with 24 hours of testing positive and we have a priority pre registered PCR at home. He has 3 years left at his fantastic school, I want him there, having fun, living his what might be his short life to the full. I’m sick of the worry and stress, I love him so much but we can’t keep hiding at home forever, it’s no life for either of us. Once he’s boosted I’m sending him back out into the world and keeping my fingers crossed. Not much else I can do.

@linelgreen

Life needs to restart we cannot carry on with restrictions that are damaging businesses and the economy. Those who feel they cannot face this will have to make their own decisions about how many restrictions they decide to retain fir themselves.

That's what I intended this thread for - to discuss how we're feeling and how we're going to manage our risk going forward.

Nobody wants restrictions to go on forever. CEV people have been as negatively impacted by lockdowns (and shielding, don't forget) as everyone else, mental health wise. In many cases, loss of livelihood-wise, too. Many of us have young adult DC whose lives have been put on hold for far too long.

The trouble is, we can't really make our own decisions because we still have to earn money/have DC in school and so on, which of course places us at unavoidable risk. Lots of us are a bit apprehensive but that's doesn't mean to say we want to be locked away indefinitely, or for anyone else to be.

It's a bit galling tbh when people are so dismissive of our concerns.

Miles that's really disappointing that your career and earning capacity have been so badly affected. Disability and illness really impacts people in so many ways that go under the radar.

Thanks, @PastMyBestBeforeDate

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch I would like to go back to my old line of work (retired during covid from a shortage speciality).

I am waiting on a better plan around antivirals (all very chaotic right now) and hoping I don't get covid from my kids meantime.

I am more confident than previously, as the chances of a poor outcome have reduced,if I were to get covid. Very grateful for the boosters etc.

Not impressed however by the rationale for the chance (Save Big Dog FFS).

And wearing an FFP2.

@delilahbucket

Just FYI for those saying from tomorrow, it's next Thursday, the 27th that it changes. Perhaps when cases have continued to drop over the next week people might feel a little bit better about it.

@delilahbucket

WFH ended today
Mask wearing in schools ended today

People will stop wearing masks when they should because of selective hearing.

Hopefully the numbers will drop.

Not even thinking about the 'no isolation' after a positive test & Im hoping that won't apply to NHS staff or I'm going to have to give serious thought whether I attend my rehab sessions or not. The 'medical' appointments I'll have to and living alone, I'll have to keep working, no one else is going to pay the bills. Fortunately the person I work closely with isn't a test & will keep wearing a mask. I'm not sure about isolating though, but hopefully she'll keep testing & tell me if she's +VE & we can work it out from there.

@Sorehandsandfeet tbh, that's really not the same as being CEV in the way many of us on the thread are. Some of us have shielded the whole time, and are admitted even with a common cold. We certainly aren't having parties.

I'm not even against the lifting of restrictions, personally, as I know how much it means to people. But you're being pretty insensitive to come into the CEV thread and reply like this.

@Sorehandsandfeet CEV is normally understood to mean "you were placed on the shielded list" - obviously with the passage of time, the meaning has changed a bit, and no, I'm not saying you literally are not vulnerable. You're right, that would be insensitive and unreasonable.

But it is very different to be contemplating intentionally having a party, vs the situation many of us are in. I'm not unaware of how it is for children (that's a big part of why I'm actually quite happy restrictions are ending, even though it's likely increasing my personal risk), but I stand by my point that what you're describing does seem quite remote from a more... typical CEV experience.

@Sorehandsandfeet - don’t worry. I was the Original CEv-er, receiving scary texts, letters, GP calls, consultant calls - telling me I was going to dieeeee or at least be very ill if I contracted covid. Nevertheless some arseholes on these threads over the course of the pandemic have been extremely nasty and questioned my status when I tried to show the teeniest bit of, not positivity exactly, but fatalism.

All I can do is exercise personal caution and wear a mask etc. I cannot expect others, including my teens, to live grim, restricted lives forever more. If other people want to do that, that is their business but accusing people of not being “cev enough” is poor form.

It just goes to show what a wide spectrum of experience there has been in this pandemic: even amongst such an - ahem - elite cohort

Last year was the worst of my life so far: far worse than my diagnosis or chemo. The reasons for this are legion, but - looking back - I can't see that trying to rationalise it would have helped. I needed to feel it.

I'm very glad my kids are back at school, and I'm hoping that the gov pull their finger out and sort jabs for 5-11 year-olds.

Sorry your work has been adversely affected, too @herecomesthsun. I've come to terms with it, but I loved my job.

As I said upthread I do think the CEV who can be successfully vaccinated are in a very different place to the CEV who are immunosuppressed and don't mount a response to vaccination. It's got to lead to a very different mindset. In my case I went into the pandemic on the border of CEV with an immune system. Now I'm firmly in the CEV camp with a suppressed immune system. I have no idea how to live normally with immunosuppression. Or my new disabilities that I can manage at home. I haven't had a cold to find out how ill I get. It's all uncharted territory.
If I was going back to me in March 2020 then I'd trust my vaccine and be more inclined to do things.

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch

It just goes to show what a wide spectrum of experience there has been in this pandemic: even amongst such an - ahem - elite cohort

Last year was the worst of my life so far: far worse than my diagnosis or chemo. The reasons for this are legion, but - looking back - I can't see that trying to rationalise it would have helped. I needed to feel it.

I'm very glad my kids are back at school, and I'm hoping that the gov pull their finger out and sort jabs for 5-11 year-olds.

I meant to say wouldn't have helped.

@DottyHarmer What an unnecessarily nasty reply.

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch

It just goes to show what a wide spectrum of experience there has been in this pandemic: even amongst such an - ahem - elite cohort

Last year was the worst of my life so far: far worse than my diagnosis or chemo. The reasons for this are legion, but - looking back - I can't see that trying to rationalise it would have helped. I needed to feel it.

I'm very glad my kids are back at school, and I'm hoping that the gov pull their finger out and sort jabs for 5-11 year-olds.

Yes, I agree completely - the sooner jabs are sorted for little ones, the better. Will make a big difference for so many!

These threads always seem to be, “I’m cev, I’m living in a bunker for the rest of my life and we’ve been thrown to the wolves.” Then, “I’m cev too, and I disagree….” “You’re not cev!”

I think we all have different fear levels and, of course, different ailments. I have avoided crowded places for a few years now, and cower away from ill people coughing/sneezing, but covid has ramped up health anxieties.

I just find it so sad when my dcs are worrying about meeting friends or going anywhere. It shouldn’t be like this .

[quote Innocenta]@DottyHarmer What an unnecessarily nasty reply. [/quote]
There was a poster who referred to themselves as One of The First Shielders who posted a lot last year.

Odd thing to bang on about, for a start, but they liked to come onto threads like this one and accuse everyone of whining, and say how sick of us they were.

In fact, they started a thread a few months ago specifically to talk about how shit shielders are, and how we should STFU.

It got deleted, but I remember it.

Well, let's see how well those three vaccines do.

October 2020 covid put me in hospital. That was pre vaccines.

I'm now three jabs in, and had a previous covid infection. Vaccine 4 is due next month.

And tonight I've tested positive again.

No real surprise. Over 20% children at school are positive, numbers rising daily.

Fingers crossed it's a less bumpy ride this time round.