UK: REGISTER AS A VULNERABLE PERSON TO GET CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

 

Just tried it and although it says if you're not sure fill in anyway, you go thro the whole thing before it comes up with

if you say no, you don't have any of the above it says sorry you're not eligible!

 

Public Health England:


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.
7. 
   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19#what-do-we-mean-by-extremely-vulnerable

 

One way of interpreting the above is if you looks at the words.

One word in particular (but there are probably more).

The use of the word 'include' in the phrase 'People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:'

It does not use the word 'are' as in 'People falling into this extremely vulnerable group are:'

In other words the list is not intended to be exhaustive.

Due to the policies adopted, for good reason, by supermarkets, and their apparently total lack of preparedness to deal with the potentially enormous and disastrous consequences of not having the staff to correct their lists of vulnerable customers (that they freely accept are far from complete) I am at risk, I am far more vulnerable than a 'normal' person to both the primary effects of coronavirus on me, and the secondary effects of coronavirus on things like my ability to obtain vital resources I need to survive.

ETA - I could even say, legitimately, that compared with a 'normal' person I will be at extreme risk from the coronavirus, and it's effects on societal infrastructure, if things don't change sharpish.

 

So, I suppose the thinking is that, if you don't meet these criteria, you're not vulnerable to Covid-19 itself. That seems a bit of a limited way of thinking about it - what about people vulnerable to the effects of the lockdown regime?

 

I literally tweeted this earlier today. Great minds!

Thankfully, I've found out that because I take a steroid inhaler and an IL-2 inhibitor for my asthma, I do fall into that category, so I've filled it all in. It's all very vague, though!

I suspect people with very severe ME will fall through the gaps with this. Action for ME were tweeting about it so hopefully they'll get a response from someone official about this.

 

Yes, there should be two initiatives, not just the one. There are people who are extremely vulnerable to the virus who need to be identified and so on. That seems to be working well.

But then there are a second group who are very vulnerable to the effects of the lock down, which is where severe ME patients are most likely to fit. This group may not be at so much risk of dying from the virus but they are at high risk of severely damaging their health by having no food or not being able to get medication or basic care.

As usual we are too hidden for anyone to notice

 

Trigger warning ## dont read if wish to avoid anything distressing



People with very severe ME in terms of function are the same as the high frailty scoring that is potentially being deployed re. dementia to influence who gets critical care , if it gets really squeezed I think. There’s concern where pwSME would fit , although someone said it doesn’t apply to the under 65s with LTCs. But surely the weakness alone is potentially a vulnerability.

if the very severe did require hospitalisation, that would really strain their level of function which makes avoiding infection if possible essential. But most are probably weLl shielded to an extent

there is also the risk of Unavoidable exertion from at home care being affected. Simply in holes emerging, or trained carers being replaced by new people with no clue, which is a strain.

 

This was where I found the Asthma UK guidance: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/

This may help others who are on a steroid inhaler and montelukast, like I am. That might be easier than proving need as a pwME.

 

I would have thought that it would go without saying that anyone in the support group for ESA or in receipt of the higher rates of PIP should be regarded as vulnerable.
After all, their rationale for all the assessing is so that 'the most vulnerable in society are taken care of'.

 

Totally agree. This is the time where our PIP awards and ESA support groups should be coming into play and protecting us. These benefit awards by their mere existence show exactly how vulnerable a person is and the amount of care required.

 

This, for the most traditionally vulnerable is going to be the silent killer here. I wish i'd thought of this wording to add to trish's email to my local MP earlier. This lockdown regime is so much more deadly for the vulnerable than the virus of which many are already shielded from.

 

I've just had to fill this in today for someone else.

I got a rare call from them this morning. He's not good with IT or technology, uses his smartphone and that's it. She does all the online stuff, except she's recently had surgery for a brain tumour, has locked herself out of all her email accounts etc.

He's got lung problems, she's got cancer, just finished radiotherapy. No access at the minute to IT and, of course, don't want to risk coming into contact with anyone.

All help resources are via the internet. Some of the most vulnerable can't access the internet or wouldn't know what to do even if they could.

Even at the best of times our care system has great gaps in it. At the moment it resembles swiss cheese. Swiss cheese that's more hole than cheese.

 

I think the assumption is that we are all surrounded by an extensive network of friends, have carers at our beck and call and are able to 'just ask for help' by using the phone or computer.

 

If GPs were involved in creating the list of the 'most at risk', what do these omissions tell us about the state of primary care?

 

Exactly. She's just been operated on for stage 4 cancer. I'm not even sure they're going to put her through chemo. His lung condition isn't going to get better. Both of then just under 65.

The system depends on them and everyone else coming forward. A great number of people just don't know where to turn and you can't just go to the library (assuming you have one) or citizen's advice.

As if life wasn't difficult enough. I could scream.

 

I'm only aware of the website to sign up because someone took the time and concern to post it to this forum.

 

Libraries have all been closed and the CABs are only offering telephone and online help. Obviously this was needed, but all the more reason that a vulnerable person's GP should have been picking them up and referring them for support.

 

Yes I know. That's exactly my point.

Any resources that a vulnerable person might have found handy have been steadily closed and cut back until virtually nothing remains. Any that might still remain can't see anyone in person and are completely overwhelmed.

The weak and vulnerable just haven't the resources to keep trying and reaching out.