Should I be shielding ?

[Peakyfan2020]

Hi everyone 👋

So I have had asthma since I was about 3. The last three years my asthma has gotten worse. In 2016 I has a nasty pneumonia that developed and was hospitalised for 5 days and spent weeks off of work recovering. It took me about a year to feel someone normal and I've been hospitalised once a year with pneumonia since. I've had it three times now I'm the same spot of my lung.last year I also has the seasonal flu and was hospitalised with that after being sent to resus.i can go from having a bit of a wheeze to in hospital gasping for breath with low says within a few hours. Last year when I had flu I saw go at 4pm was in resus by 6pm. I've had recent CT scans and x-ray to see if I have bronchiectasis but thankfully this came back negative. I am on fostair NEXThaler, ventolin and montelukast for my asthma. I spoke to asthma UK who said I should be shielding and to ring my consultant but he said no. I am really worried about the Coronavirus like everyone is. I am a single mum of two so I am so worried about going out etc. Has anyone got any advice

Stay safe everyone

[Londonliving]

Hi,

I think it’s difficult to say as the advice keeps changing, I’m on similar meds to you and initially it was advised that we should shield (I sought advice here as well as I was so confused) but think the new guidance now advises that you need to have taken several courses of prednisone in the last year to be classified as extremely vulnerable. I’m not sure if you have or not. This is my interpretation I could be misunderstanding.

It sounds like you’ve had some really nasty illnesses in the last few years and that you probably should shield or limit how much you go out as much as possible. I’m a single mum as well and can well understand your anxiety around catching it, I get very anxious about the potential consequences of this as well.

I’m sure someone else can give a much better answer than me but just wanted to lend my support as it sounds like you have a lot going on.

Take care

[Peakyfan2020 in reply to Londonliving]

Thank you it is such a worry isn't it stay safe xx

[twinkly29]

Londonliving is right in that the current guidance is that, in addition to your inhalers and montelukast, you would need to have had several courses of steroids within a particular timeframe to be in the official shielding group. Assuming you haven't, and as both GP and consultant have said you don't need to shield, presumably they have assessed that you are not at high risk and that carefully following social distancing guidelines, limiting going out etc, would be ok.

[Poobah]

To be honest because the criteria keeps changing it's difficult to know. However, I thought hospitalisation with a respiratory illness within the last 12 months was a trigger for selection. But your consultant reckons not.

It might be worth having a chat with your GP as they are responsible for ensuring anyone who has been missed out is now included in the sheilding group. They will have the most up-to-date criteria and you can ask to be considered given your hospitalisation record.

[Peakyfan2020]

Thank you everyone haven't spoken to go but was confused as asthma UK has had said yes and consultant has said no but they changed the shielding advice again.stay safe all of you

[Anniecath]

Hi Peakyfan 2020,

I am 66 and have had asthma all my life, but like a lot of fellow asthma sufferers I was confused because the guidance wasn't/isn't clear and I fell out of the criteria both on age criteria and the criteria on drug dosages (even this isn't clear) so I decided to shield myself as much as possible. I think in the end, if you can't get clear guidance from consultant or GP go with your gut feeling. I know a lot depends on where you are and what the support structure where you live is like, but I wish you luck and stay safe

[Peakyfan2020]

Thank you anniecath I am choosing to shield as much as possible staying at home we have a little patio so using that and doing excersise at home because I like be near a beauty spot so it's really busy around the area and it worries me. Luckily I work as a teaching assistant and the school have been brilliant not putting me onto rotas to work as a key worker because of my asthma and letting me work from home at the moment hopefully that doesn't change. I also have lovely friends who are helping with medicines and food for me so I am very fortunate. I think I will just do my own thing. Just all such a worry not sleeping well thinking about it. I really do wish you all well and to keep safe.

Jodie

[Definitelynotjeff]

I would contact your gp again. The shielding letter says something like “you’re high risk because you have an underlying condition that means if you catch it you’re more likely to go to hospital.”

Well if you’re annually admitted to hospital with pneumonia and covid causes pneumonia I would have thought while you don’t have severe asthma your lungs are very susceptible to pneumonia. The doctors need to have a little bit of common sense and leeway to shield people who have previously had bad pneumonia’s.