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Copy of letter sent out to NHS GPs re Shielding (03/04/20)

"The text I got today tells me to shield till the 30th of June OMG!" -john Green. That's helpful. Has anyone else been given a date when shielding should end? Does anyone know if and when the food boxes will stop arriving? Or the priority slots in supermarkets will end. The latter are the most important to me as I don't drive and can't do click and collect. Food boxes -grateful as I am for them- contain only ambient food. No butter/spread, cheese or eggs.
 
Tannith said:
"The text I got today tells me to shield till the 30th of June OMG!" -john Green. That's helpful. Has anyone else been given a date when shielding should end? Does anyone know if and when the food boxes will stop arriving? Or the priority slots in supermarkets will end. The latter are the most important to me as I don't drive and can't do click and collect. Food boxes -grateful as I am for them- contain only ambient food. No butter/spread, cheese or eggs.
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When shielding started they said for 3 months so the end of June is not new information. Of course it might be extended. Best to wait for the PM's announcement on Sunday for more information.
 
Tannith said:
"The text I got today tells me to shield till the 30th of June OMG!" -john Green. That's helpful. Has anyone else been given a date when shielding should end?.
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I doubt that those deemed extremely vulnerable will be suddenly no longer vulnerable on that date, and fully expect my ‘parole’ to be declined and house arrest extended.

Those of us ‘more vulnerable’ really can’t expect the rest of the nation to continue to be isolated, so will just have to get on with it, as the world outside resumes the new normal.
 
Pipp said:
I doubt that those deemed extremely vulnerable will be suddenly no longer vulnerable on that date, and fully expect my ‘parole’ to be declined and house arrest extended.

Those of us ‘more vulnerable’ really can’t expect the rest of the nation to continue to be isolated, so will just have to get on with it, as the world outside resumes the new normal.
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I feel for you. You are right to just stay safe though. Hugs.
X
 
I do think that as 30th June approaches we will get further messages may be extending the time needed to shield I personally don't think I will feel safe until a fully implemented vaccination program has been carried out and God alone knows when that will be.

Edit to add whoever and whenever is there a totally safe life risks are ever present you just have to live with them.
 
JohnEGreen said:
I do think that as 30th June approaches we will get further messages may be extending the time needed to shield I personally don't think I will feel safe until a fully implemented vaccination program has been carried out and God alone knows when that will be.

Edit to add whoever and whenever is there a totally safe life risks are ever present you just have to live with them.
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I have just been reading Wolf Hall, there is reference to the English Sweating Sickness that occurred in 1530's "sweating at breakfast, dead by noon" The disease was prevalent for a year or two and then disappeared never to be seen again. If we are really lucky.........
 
There were several outbreaks of the sweating sickness between 1485 and the final epidemic in I believe 1551 no one knows even now what it actually was.

the disease would begin suddenly with a sense of apprehension, followed by violent cold shivers, giddiness, headache, exhaustion and severe pains in the neck, shoulders and limbs. After sometimes as little as half an hour, profuse sweating broke out suddenly, accompanied by a sense of heat, headache, delirium, rapid pulse and intense thirst. In the final stage, sufferers experienced a heaviness and a desire to sleep. After 24 hours they were either dead or recovering.
 
JohnEGreen said:
I still have not received a letter but have had emails from iceland the co-op and asda offering me priority delivery slots and this morning some guys in an army truck deposited not one but three boxes of essential supplies 3 weeks worth at one go, to say the least I am somewhat gobsmacked and a little surprised.

Edit to add I don't quite know where to put it all.
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Do you have 3 people in your household including yourself? Do they have a way of knowing that? I have read that if you are shielding and you live with someone else who can't go out because of protecting you, then you can ask for an extra box for them too.
 
Tannith said:
Do you have 3 people in your household including yourself? Do they have a way of knowing that? I have read that if you are shielding and you live with someone else who can't go out because of protecting you, then you can ask for an extra box for them too.
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I think one may be for Melody my daughter and of course there is Judith so yes there are three of us and now Keiran my grandson who has already had the illness while at university and has returned home after making sure enough time had passed since getting the symptoms and recovering. So that makes us a household of 4.

Judith works for the NHS but is working from home as she is admin. And Keiran is finishing his second year on line from here including end of year exams.
 
Although I have T2 and asthma I am not on the shielding list, but my partner has had no less than TWO shielding letters in the space of a few weeks as she has two shielding conditions - extremely vulnerable due to lymphoma and also an autoimmune illness on long-term biologic / immune suppressant therapy. The NHS have been great as my employer - pulled me off the front line when those shielding letters arrived and I was told to work from home as the Trust I work for wants to ensure that shielding households are protected. It's quite hectic running clinics meetings etc virtually by phone and video and we have been told by Trust management that nothing is changing anytime soon.

Mind you, if we had needed to rely on the food parcels promised to the extremely vulnerable we would have died of starvation in the past 7 weeks - not seen hide nor hair of one yet.
Luckily we were offered supermarket slots from Sainsbury's, ASDA, Ocado and Waitrose and have regular weekly deliveries setup now and booked into the next 3 weeks as well, and our pharmacy, in the local ASDA, have been kind enough to make a trip to us to drop off monthly meds.
 
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A few days ago I was contacted by the surgery. I had to answer a sort of survey. The following day I received a letter to tell me to continue isolating until end of June.
 
I have a few days ago at long last had a letter from my GP still saying to shield till 30 of June what worries me is what happens on the 1st of July and beyond does any one have a notion of what we do then do we just carry on shielding indefinitely?
 
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xfieldok said:
I am shielding for the foreseeable future. However, I don't have employment issues.
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I have a feeling so am I but we do not seem to figure in any official statements or have I missed it we seem to have been forgotten about.

Having just gone through the online guidance there is nothing for beyond the 30th of June
 
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JohnEGreen said:
I have a feeling so am I but we do not seem to figure in any official statements or have I missed it we seem to have been forgotten about.

Having just gone through the online guidance there is nothing for beyond the 30th of June
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I believe the shielding advice lasts until it is revoked following a government review. The date you have been given is most likely simply a guideline and maybe extended.
 
Background and scope of guidance
This guidance is for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, including children. It’s also for their family, friends and carers.
People who are clinically extremely vulnerable should have received a letter telling them they’re in this group or been told by their GP.
It’s for situations where a clinically extremely vulnerable person is living at home, with or without additional support. This includes clinically extremely vulnerable people living in long-term care facilities for the elderly or people with special needs.
If you have been told that you’re clinically extremely vulnerable, you should:
follow the advice in this guidance

The advice

Staying at home and shielding
If you’re clinically extremely vulnerable, you’re strongly advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact to protect yourself.
This is called ‘shielding’ and the advice is:
Do not leave your house.
Do not attend any gatherings, including gatherings of friends and families in private spaces, for example, family homes, weddings and religious services.
Strictly avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Government is currently advising people to shield until 30 June 2020 and is regularly monitoring this position.

I see nothing giving any idea of what the position will be on 1st of July just we are monitoring this position IE shielding till the 30th of June.

And to be honest I am not reassured by this as it stands on the 1st of July they could easily say right that's it in our view there is no longer any need to shield so now your on your own.

There is nothing that says this advise continues indefinitely till revocation.
 
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