COVID and Type 1

DiabeticDi said:

I wondered if anyone could give me some advice please!

I am Type 1, and also in terms of Covid classified as clinically extremely vulnerable. I have had both my jabs. I understand that the jabs don't PREVENT you from getting it, but it means you won't get it seriously.

I just wonder that if I did get it, how badly would it affect my diabetes though?

We have planned to go to see our daughter and family that live in the North West in about a weeks time. They live in the hot spot area, or near enough, where the Indian variant is rife. Daughter has had one jab, son in law has been offered the jab but has no plans to have it! Plus he works in a garden centre with the public! I am so upset about it all because am I putting myself at risk if I go up there, or should I be ok? Should I do Covid tests, should he do tests? I so want to see them after 15 months of separation but clearly I don not want to put myself at risk either, or am I being over cautious, seeing as I have had the 2 jabs?.

What would you do if you were Type 1 AND clinically vulnerable?

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Clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable, (ie in the category who had to shield)? Either way, personally, and it IS a personal decision, I would be happy to go having been fully vaccinated. What does your daughter say, especially given her husband has no intention of getting vaccinated. Would you be staying in their household? If you are a worrier then maybe you could stay elsewhere, in a Hotel say and see your family in a more socially distanced way? As far as I am concerned, there isn't a lot more any of us can do other than be as careful or hygienic as possible whilst still living our lives. x

As the tests are available for free, it maybe worthwhile asking your daughter and son-in-law to have the test the day before you arrive. Then you may have more confidence that the risk is lower or know not to travel if the test comes back as positive.

The important thing is to consider your health as a whole - not just consider the physical extremely vulnerable part but also the mental part of your health.
Is your mental health greater impacted by not seeing your daughter or by the worry about the virus?

Sure the vaccine does not provide 100% protection but my understanding is that it both reduces the chance of catching covid and reduces he severity of covid if you are unfortunate enough to get it.

But no one can tell you how severe it would be or whether you are more likely to get it than someone else who has had two jabs.

DiabeticDi said:

We have planned to go to see our daughter and family that live in the North West in about a weeks time. They live in the hot spot area, or near enough, where the Indian variant is rife.

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Hi @DiabeticDi, I think personally I would hold off a bit longer with your daughter living in a hot spot area, particularly if you're planning on going out and about, out to eat or seeing other people etc rather than just staying in the house.

Tough decision....but personally I would be free to go as I had Covid in December before jabs came out and having type 1, I only had a mild version and my diabetes didn't suffer any more than having a common cold. My BG went up to 16 for a couple days and just took a 20% increase basal and it did fix it. So if I did get the same strength of virus again I wouldn't be too worried and the jab should cover a more serious type!....hopefully!

All the best!

DiabeticDi said:

I wondered if anyone could give me some advice please!

I am Type 1, and also in terms of Covid classified as clinically extremely vulnerable. I have had both my jabs. I understand that the jabs don't PREVENT you from getting it, but it means you won't get it seriously.

I just wonder that if I did get it, how badly would it affect my diabetes though?

We have planned to go to see our daughter and family that live in the North West in about a weeks time. They live in the hot spot area, or near enough, where the Indian variant is rife. Daughter has had one jab, son in law has been offered the jab but has no plans to have it! Plus he works in a garden centre with the public! I am so upset about it all because am I putting myself at risk if I go up there, or should I be ok? Should I do Covid tests, should he do tests? I so want to see them after 15 months of separation but clearly I don not want to put myself at risk either, or am I being over cautious, seeing as I have had the 2 jabs?.

What would you do if you were Type 1 AND clinically vulnerable?

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I would ask myself the question if I can't go and see them now then when will I? After a year of this kind of worry I think your mind will always find something to fret about and I understand that anxiety. However as you said yourself you want to see them badly and the visit may end up making you feel much less anxious in general. You are vaccinated and very unlikely to become seriously ill with covid regardless of your son in law's vaccination status or where they live or where he works. It is Summer and levels of the virus are very low even in Bolton with no indications that the so called Indian variant evades the vaccine.
You could choose not to go but if not now then when?

I find this thread really interesting. Personally I wouldn’t stay in a hotel or go to a restaurant/pub if you paid me. You do not know how many people working there have been vaccinated. At least you know your son in law.
We went on holiday to a cottage. Took all our own bedding and food and cleaned the place to with in an inch of its life on arrival. Why worry about family but not about strangers.

DiabeticDi said:

Hi, great advice thank you. Especially about the tests the day before, which I am going to ask them to do. Then just a case of being very careful as i have always been. I am a real worrier and I worry about having my diabetes go beserk if I do catch it, even though I won't get seriously ill now I've had the jabs....just have to balance family with risk to health.

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I live on my own and before my support bubble came to visit they all took the lateral flow tests (too young to qualify for vaccination at the time).

Plus if possible only socialise outdoors (I know the current weather makes this a depressing option!). But the evidence is getting stronger that all variants are very transmissible by aerosol action, so lack of ventilation indoors is a big concern.

oldgreymare said:

I live on my own and before my support bubble came to visit they all took the lateral flow tests (too young to qualify for vaccination at the time).

Plus if possible only socialise outdoors (I know the current weather makes this a depressing option!). But the evidence is getting stronger that all variants are very transmissible by aerosol action, so lack of ventilation indoors is a big concern.

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You are right that the virus is aerosol transmission in tiny particles mainly by ill people with high viral load couhging and doesn't do well in fresh air and UV light but if the OP is vaccinated surely the risk is minimal. On this precautionary basis perhaps he shouldn't get into a car either because something COULD happen but probably won't. You can test of course but what happens if you go into a petrol station on route or need to use a public loo?
There is no evidence yet that the Indian scariant variant is especially transmissible (admitted by Prof Ferguson). Blackburn Hospital has only 8 patients with 2 of these in ICU, 24 with Covid in Bolton 8 in ICU (slight increase) but I've no idea what SAGE can be worrying about.

NicoleC1971 said:

You are right that the virus is aerosol transmission in tiny particles mainly by ill people with high viral load couhging and doesn't do well in fresh air and UV light but if the OP is vaccinated surely the risk is minimal. On this precautionary basis perhaps he shouldn't get into a car either because something COULD happen but probably won't. You can test of course but what happens if you go into a petrol station on route or need to use a public loo?
There is no evidence yet that the Indian scariant variant is especially transmissible (admitted by Prof Ferguson). Blackburn Hospital has only 8 patients with 2 of these in ICU, 24 with Covid in Bolton 8 in ICU (slight increase) but I've no idea what SAGE can be worrying about.

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I'll try and see if I can find some of the evidence but unfortunately the hardest aspect of this infectious disease is that asymptomatic individuals can have and shed high viral loads which is what makes the public health initiatives so difficult to implement effectively. I thought there is already evidence that the Indian variant is at least as infectious if not more so than the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants but I think the hard data is from other countries. Frankly I feel SAGE is right to be worried - way too soon for any public health authority to be complacent.

With aerosol transmission, the amount of virus you may be exposed to is a factor of amount of virus particles in the air you are breathing AND the length of time you are exposed to this. Apparently talking with an infected person shedding virus (whether or not showing symptoms - talking is enough, doesn't need coughing) in an enclosed room for more than 10 minutes can transmit enough virus to cause an infection. Somewhat counterintuitively, using an outside petrol station, brief visit to a public loo, solo dash around local shops, etc may all be less "infectious" provided good hand sanitation is followed. Being in a car with someone whose recent negative test status is known would not worry me, but public transport (taxi, bus, train, aircraft) still makes me think twice even though I'm fully vaccinated.

Vaccination does NOT reduce the vulnerability to infection. However what it does achieve is to promote a strong appropriate immune response (i.e., not a cytokine storm) in the presence of the virus to limit the physical effects of infection to none or a mild case. There is not sufficient data yet to tell if being vaccinated prevents me from infecting others if I happen to have the virus onboard.

So we all need to make our own risk assessments for the foreseeable future based on what will continue to be changing data and guidelines. @DiabeticDi I hope your visit goes well.

Why are you classed as clinically vulnerable ? I have had type 1 for 46 years and have had both jabs and have been told that I am no more likely to get it than the rest of the population , Admittedly if I do get it my diabetes may take a turn for the worse but no more so than if I get a cold / flu etc . I do think you are worrying a little to much .

jaywak said:

Why are you classed as clinically vulnerable ? I have had type 1 for 46 years and have had both jabs and have been told that I am no more likely to get it than the rest of the population , Admittedly if I do get it my diabetes may take a turn for the worse but no more so than if I get a cold / flu etc . I do think you are worrying a little to much .

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Anyone who has diabetes (of either type actually) falls into the govt classification of 'clinically vulnerable'. Whether anyone agrees or not, this is important especially in relation to work related issues. It does not mean we are 'more likely' to get it, it means IF we do get it then it is more likely to affect us more severely than someone without diabetes. There is another category as well of 'extremely clinically vulnerable', ie the shielders and it seems the poster falls into that one.

Either way, just because you or I may share a type 1 condition does not mean we will both react to the flu/covid or anything else in the same way, you might suffer no worse than a cold but I might end up in hospital. None of us know basically so I can understand why a person is worrying. Who are we to accuse someone of worrying too much when we are not in their shoes and NOTHING like them other than our sharing of a health condition.

jaywak said:

Why are you classed as clinically vulnerable ? I have had type 1 for 46 years and have had both jabs and have been told that I am no more likely to get it than the rest of the population , Admittedly if I do get it my diabetes may take a turn for the worse but no more so than if I get a cold / flu etc . I do think you are worrying a little to much .

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All diabetics are classed as clinically vulnerable
Some are clinically extremely vulnerable due to other conditions or if you score as such on the calculator (age, sex, ethnicity all play factors)

Catching is the same, the impact of you get it on the other hand…

As you yourself said, you could get iller than those without diabetes with flu. That’s why we are flu jab eligible. it’s the same with covid. The risks are higher. Maybe you could shake it off, not all will and no one knows until they get it how Ill they will be unfortunately

This must feel like such a hard decision to make. Is there any possibility of your daughter coming to visit you? Maybe waiting until after the second jab?

Any decision you make is personal. It is difficult and unfortunately I don't see it becoming easy for a while yet.

Good luck with your decision.