Anyone Shielding due to 'Underlying Health Issues'

[audikentman]

Just wondered if anyone else here is shielding or if anyone from the house hold is.

I'm a key worker, was going to work for the 1st 2 weeks of lock down, then got a text from the NHS to stay indoors.
I called work and they told me to stay off & indoors, due to this they then furloughed me, my partner ws already furloughed, but due to me shielding she has to stay furloughed.

Does anyone have any idea if the shielding will be extended, it has been in Wales & Scotland, & I've had my furlough extended from the end of June to the end of July.

If it is it means my partner can't go back, they are a manager for 2 dental practises. They've been thrown under the bus by the goverment re reopening but thats another story

[sawman]

I am a key worker, I expected to get a shielding letter due to an underlying health issue in march/april but didn't. so have been at work throughout. my role is in elective care and so i have been doing other things.

Just as elective care is starting up, I get a shielding letter! so not likely to be back to my normal role til after the end of the month - I understand there is a review on the 15th june - so either things will be relaxed or maybe extended,

[DeWar]

One of the problems is that as understanding of the virus continues, estimation of who is most at risk also changes, which means OP that your question unfortunately may be unanswerable for the time being.

The people in the extremely vulnerable group - the immunosuppressed, transplant recipients, people on cancer treatment etc - will continue to be at significant risk as long as the virus remains in circulation. However it’s now known that people with vascular risk factors are particularly susceptible to severe infection, whereas a few months ago the worry was about people with respiratory problems (many of whom remain at high risk) so for example the shielding criteria changed to relax the restrictions on some asthmatics but also started to include some diabetics.

It might be worth you discussing your specific situation with your GP, OP. I have spoken to some people who were in the shielding group, received the relevant letters etc but on review it turns out that either the original letter was sent in error (this has happened A LOT) or it was correct at the time but no longer applies.

[Riley Blue]

Here is the most recent government advice I can find. I think I heard Boris say that it's due to be updated within the next few days:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidanc...

It's not helped by the various names that are being used for various groups: 'high risk' is now 'clinically extremely vulnerable' below which is the 'clinically vulnerable' group however these are referred to by the NHS as 'shielded patients' = 'high risk' = 'clinically extremely vulnerable' and 'moderate risk' = 'clinically vulnerable'.

https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/shielded-patien...