Covid 19 - are we in high risk?

rpage

Member
Messages
8
As a diabetic T2 and over 60 my stance is to self isolate and take as many precautions as possible to avoid exposure to Covid-19. I still go out for walks but avoid getting close to anyone's breath by at least 2 metres. That also means making sure to avoid their breath reaching me on the wind. I avoid touching surfaces that the general public touch. For example, petrol pump handles and the keypad buttons. I use my own gloves or the ones petrol stations have for diesel. I make a point of not touching my face until I have washed my hands for approximately half a minute.

Purchasing groceries... is going to be the challenge. Deliveries, if slots available. But however that challenge is addressed one needs to sanitise the surfaces as the virus survives on cardboard, plastic and metal surfaces with a half life of 5 hours. Paranoid or not. Yes I am. Anyway I can reduce the risk of catching the virus the better. But avoiding catching it is I suspect going to be difficult.
 
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lozy

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Unless I've missed it, diabetes seems to have gone off the high risk list?
 

lozy

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
What do we mean by extremely vulnerable?
People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:

  1. Solid organ transplant recipients

  2. People with specific cancers:
    • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
    • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
  3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

  4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

  5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

  6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
What do we mean by extremely vulnerable?
People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:

  1. Solid organ transplant recipients

  2. People with specific cancers:
    • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
    • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
  3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

  4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

  5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

  6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

People with diabetes were never on the extremely vulnerable list.
However they have always been mentioned.
Have a look at the most recent info on the www.gov.uk website.

this is a cut and paste from their page on protecting the vulnerable


Background and scope of guidance
This guidance is for everyone, including children. It advises on social distancing measures we should all be taking to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). It is intended for use in situations where people are living in their own homes, with or without additional support from friends, family and carers. If you live in a residential care setting guidance is available.

We are advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.
This group includes those who are:

Note: there are some clinical conditions which put people at even higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. If you are in this category, next week the NHS in England will directly contact you with advice about the more stringent measures you should take in order to keep yourself and others safe. For now, you should rigorously follow the social distancing advice in full, outlined below.

People falling into this group are those who may be at particular risk due to complex health problems such as:

  • people who have received an organ transplant and remain on ongoing immunosuppression medication
  • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy
  • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia who are at any stage of treatment
  • people with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma (requiring hospital admissions or courses of steroid tablets)
  • people with severe diseases of body systems, such as severe kidney disease (dialysis)
What is social distancing?
Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce social interaction between people. This will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

They are to:

  1. Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough
  2. Avoid non-essential use of public transport when possible
  3. Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidance for more information
  4. Avoid large and small gatherings in public spaces, noting that pubs, restaurants, leisure centres and similar venues are currently shut as infections spread easily in closed spaces where people gather together.
  5. Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media
  6. Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services
Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as much as is practicable.

We strongly advise you to follow the above measures as much as you can and to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible, particularly if you:

  • are over 70
  • have an underlying health condition
  • are pregnant
This advice is likely to be in place for some weeks.
 

KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What do we mean by extremely vulnerable?
People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:

  1. Solid organ transplant recipients

  2. People with specific cancers:
    • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
    • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
  3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

  4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

  5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

  6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.


That's true. Diabetics WERE on the high risk list to begin with when there was no such thing as a 'vulnerable' and 'extremely vulnerable' list. It changed fairly recently into those two categories, presumably because they realised there were many millions of people with underlying health conditions and God forbid too many people went into self isolation.
 
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Max68

Well-Known Member
Messages
751
Interesting that high blood pressure isn't on that list but it seems to appear on quite a few stats. If you include the likes of illnesses controlled by medication plus all those on that list above how many millions are we talking here?!
 

spendercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
277
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Cruelty. I am kind.
What do we mean by extremely vulnerable?
People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:

  1. Solid organ transplant recipients

  2. People with specific cancers:
    • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
    • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
  3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

  4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

  5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

  6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.
You are right, diabetics have been removed from the vulnerable group on today’s updated webpage. Unlikely to be a mistake.
Puzzling
 

spendercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
277
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Cruelty. I am kind.
Lots of medical staff are diabetic you know.....
 

Josie66

Well-Known Member
Messages
70
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diabetes!!
If we all end up in self isolation in all the affected countries their hospitals in 9 months time will have a baby boom on their hands:dummy::dummy1:
Great news for me .Im a midwife I'll be booking my hols then
 

Crocodile

Well-Known Member
Messages
683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
I can't have it often
If we all end up in self isolation in all the affected countries their hospitals in 9 months time will have a baby boom on their hands:dummy::dummy1:
Either that or we end up with plenty of drunks and good cooks.
 

emmacwilson

Newbie
Messages
1
It’s stupid because most diabetics have complications which I think should put in the higher group of risk, from what people are saying that have been infected is that it is horrible just for a normal person
 

Whydoineedone

Member
Messages
8
Well I’m T2 and over sixty and am being fitted for masks at work and trained on ventilators to be able to look after patients with the virus, so obviously not considered at risk!
 

Whydoineedone

Member
Messages
8
I've been in touch with my doctor last week and he said we are vulnerable. I am signed off to work from home until the end of the month. After the update today I will assume I have to stay in for 12 weeks. Better safe than sorry. Plus my Hba1c is rubbish at 74, so I am probably higher risk.
Really confused. I’m a nurse, 62, T2 with bad HbA1c too, yet being asked to come in and look after COVID patients, so can’t be that ‘vulnerable ‘ surely???
 

Zilsniggy

Well-Known Member
Messages
428
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Really confused. I’m a nurse, 62, T2 with bad HbA1c too, yet being asked to come in and look after COVID patients, so can’t be that ‘vulnerable ‘ surely???

My company has produced it's own Risk Stratification(!), from what evidence or scientific basis, I have no clue, since nothing is referenced..........they're telling me, as a T2 on insulin, with a couple of comorbidities that I am in the least risk category.........somehow, I am cynical about their motives, and doubt their sincerity regarding Duty of Care...........I think, as key workers, they just want us at work, they're not particularly interested in our health.
 
Messages
18,448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
You are right, diabetics have been removed from the vulnerable group on today’s updated webpage. Unlikely to be a mistake.
Puzzling

HI, probably could be because the NHS and 111 are already at breaking point and inundated with calls regarding health questions.
I am thankful that I am not in the very high vulnerable risk group.
 

Reykua

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
So just been diagnosed t2, so my sugars are not yet under control as I don’t have my first appointment with docs till Tues and diabetic nurse a week on Thurs. I have started low carb and low sugar but it will take a while to get them under control. Does this mean that I will be in the at risk group and have to self isolate?? Maybe nobody knows but thought I would ask!

Not to spread any panic But... Worldwide data so far indicates that Diabetes 2 is ranked second or third in the top five Underlying conditions of those who have succumbed to the virus thus far. The top being those with heart conditions. Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancers and Obesity are the others. The real concern would be if you suffer from two or more of the top five combined!
 

Mr_Pot

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,573
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Not to spread any panic But... Worldwide data so far indicates that Diabetes 2 is ranked second or third in the top five Underlying conditions of those who have succumbed to the virus thus far. The top being those with heart conditions. Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancers and Obesity are the others. The real concern would be if you suffer from two or more of the top five combined!
They may have had those underlying conditions but that doesn't mean that's why they died.
 

sno0opy

Well-Known Member
Messages
383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Not to spread any panic But... Worldwide data so far indicates that Diabetes 2 is ranked second or third in the top five Underlying conditions of those who have succumbed to the virus thus far. The top being those with heart conditions. Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancers and Obesity are the others. The real concern would be if you suffer from two or more of the top five combined!

Allot of elderly are classed as diabetic as your pancreas starts giving Incas you get old. It's also a condition you can develop as other illnesses start shutting your body down and in many countries diabetics are very poorly managed and have compromised organs due to long term poor management.

I would not draw too many conclusions from it.

Fundimentaly the government policy is to protect the NHS from an influx of patients with serious side effects. If diabetics were at genuine very high risk they would be on the list of people to self isolate and they are not.

Ignoring if you trust the government or not, they will do what's best to keep the numbers and costs down so I wouldn't over think headline numbers that don't mean much without the full picture

Like if you look at the case to death rate in the UK it's massive, way above 1%, but that's meaningless unless you understand the data which is scewed by test frequency.