Has your vulnerability status for COVID-19 changed? How to react?

@mr chipps Hello mr chipps, thank you for opening this discussion. I know that the status changes can be very stressful and confusing, especially given the current state of the virus in the UK.

According to the Government as of yesterday, in England, shielding measures for the clinically extremely vulnerable have been paused. You can read the full guidance, which includes the definition of who is considered 'clinically extremely vulnerable' on the Gov.uk site here.

I'm sure that you are not alone in feeling this way, let me tag some other members who can share their thoughts and advice.

Hello all, how are you today? How do you feel about the latest guidance for protecting oneself against COVID-19? Has your shielding status changed? What do you think? Will you continue to self isolate? What will you do if there's another lockdown?
@PamelaHeath‍ @Kennethgrieveson1‍ @Creamware2‍ @BeverleyCoyne‍ @mandyloo‍ @JoanneSm‍ @Leigh89‍ @Flutterby‍ @LukeIan‍ @Kairus‍ @Racheltf‍ @JaxB1911‍ @Itchwitch‍ @Vjarvis‍ @Jeff's‍ @teebsybhoy‍ @Bigman‍ 

Feel free to share and discuss your thoughts and advice here!

Take care,
Courtney  

I am not shielding, but I am wearing a mask when I leave my house. 

I am social distancing and only going to places when they are not very busy

I have Downloaded the nhs covid19 app  and set out to scan.

I had to have a covid19 test last week,because I had been in contact with someone who had been found positive from a test 

 I social isolated until my test resulted me I was negative. 

This has made me more wary of the virus and covidiots.  Who arent practicing social distancing and wearing mass as required.                             Although shielding has been paused, it does not change mine or many people  vulnerability status.  because my / their health issues have not changed!!!

I like everyone else is living with another lockdown. which thankfully this time is not affecting me as much as it did when I was shielding . But what is worrying me is exactly what will happen on December 2nd? from information on the national news, we may not even come out of lockdown then, and may still be staying in it for a very long time

 with the actions of the government, I am not surprised that many people are living with mental health issues, because we need to be able to try and make plans and for those who have close families spend precious time with them. personal it doesn't matter to me., because i am not part of a close family. but I do have loyal and loving friends, who are important to me.

I want to also get out and mix with friends and enjoy doing lovely things in my life . 

I am again back in lockdown, but also shielding again, as i am classed as highly vulnerable and i am not allowed out, but must stay in and again be almost forgotten about again by this government, or mentioned as an after thought, after several months, of being ignored?

 my question is. ! if i like other are so ill that we need shielding and virtually locking away for our health sake and to stop us becoming very unwell or dying from Covid 19, why are we not in group 1 for vaccines.                                            Or is it like the first lock down simply a way for the government to hide us away and some of us possibly die and reduce the need to vaccinate us?

Mr. Chips, Don't blame the government. I am like you in lockdown and shielding again I am classed as extremely vulnerable and have also been told that if I get Covid it will kill me. I think they are doing the best they can and although mistakes have been made nothing like this has ever happened before. I don't like it but am not ready to die just yet. I will get the vaccine after the first batch as am 75. It makes sense to vaccinate he older ones first especially those in care homes. We just have to wait for our turn.

Sorry but today isn't a good day for me as it would have been my 56th wedding anniversary but my husband died last year. We all have things to bear.

I can understand, to some extent, how you are feeling about the loss of your husband of 55 years, As i have now been widowed 27 years. we re married for just over 26 years in a loving marriage. i am waiting my turn for the vaccine, i am age 72 and in poor health, but , now we have light at the end of the tunnel

yes we all have our things to bear, and that's all we can do m ay you find peace and hope  

Dear DMH8472

 My beef with the government is how they in the beginning appeared to have shut the vulnerable away and virtually forgotten about them, until they were reminded, then only announced that shielding had been paused nearly 48 hours after it appeared on teletext this government now has thousands of tons of PPE, that simply may go to waste ,as it wont get used. how many millions have been wasted by foolish decisions, or just to make some people happy?

i agree that we have not been in anything like this before and to me the government took a laisse faire attitude and hoped that everything would be short lived, which of course we know it has not been? i like you am vulnerable, but in my mind the government tried to lump everyone that was vulnerable together ,without considering that some of us had different needs

I for example being on my own nearly went mad trying to get people to do my shopping and post my mail etc but emotionally I needed to be be able to visit my wife and loved ones graves and take flowers, in the beginning the police where live were so ruthless ,that they were fining virtually anyone who went out in their cars. therefore we had the added pressure of living like prisoners in our own prisons, simply because of the governments pathetic rules, that were badly thought out , and only amended because of public outcries

 it was fine for Black lives matter demonstrators to meet and not be fined, it was also great for women to gather in London to demonstrate about brutal men and murder of that lady without being fined, instead the police were blamed for doing their jobs, and classed as being brutal niether of these demonstrations was legal and was against social distancing rules and everyone of those demonstrators, put others art risk but we had to get special permission as veterans to meet socially distanced to lay a wreath at the cenotaph , and salute our fallen comrades., because once a veteran always a veteran, we never forget our fallen comrades? 

To finish off, i want to say that i have first hand experience of living with an epidemic. i was serving in Blandford in Dorset in January 1977, when we had a chicken pox outbreak in Dorset ,we also had 4ft 6 inches pf snow in 24 hours and the only people allowed out was the army. my wife and kids caught Chicken pox, but i did not, so i had to work both night and day, driving people and supplies around the areas. including taking soldiers to Bournemouth for a train to north Yorkshire, to collect a military Ambulance. so yes I do know what its like to live through and epidemic, and leave my wife and kids, just when they needed me, but my country also needed me?

I was in the vulnerable group (group 6), after a hospital appointment I was advised I should be shielding, the next day was offered a jab so only had to shield for three weeks. I still met my support bubble but deferred visiting supermarkets 

i wasnt luck enough to have a support bubble ,as my close friends had their own family groups and therefore i was able to join them. but thats life, i am alive and coping and now had both ajbs, so im going to look on the positive side of life and build a new future , no more hiding or making excuses for me. i have now beaten my depression and low moods and had fantsastic support for my mental health issues from my locla NHS mental health team.

 my advice is if you have mentl health issues and are not receiving support please contact your local IAPTs and they will offer you caring and empatheitc support, talored to fit your needs. the days of 1 size fits all treatments are now in the past, please trust me