Hi can anybody clarify if we(heart failure) patients are included in the highly vulnerable category that the government is saying has to not leave the house for 12 wks? I don’t intend to leave much anyways but just curious because I can ask for help to get food and my medication dropped to my house? I saw other illnesses on some of the papers but heart failure wasn’t mentioned. Any info would be great. Thanks and hope you all stay safe x
Are we in the high risk catergory?? - British Heart Fou...
Are we in the high risk catergory??
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Chrisbarrett100
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44 Replies
•
Hi Chris! You and I are in similar situations! I am only 38 and was diagnosed in September with HF! It’s crazy! Not many people our age understand what it’s like 
anyway, I am worried about this high risk thing as it says nothing about heart related issues😕though I am actually really scared to get covid as whenever I get the flu I actually contract pneumonia! By the age of 35 I had pneumonia 3 times! So you can imagine how scared I am to contract this?! Anyway, I am ringing my cardiac nurse tomorrow about this as I am confused...
I heard that if it is your electrics then you are not at a high risk and if it is heart failure such as not enough blood/oxygen pumping round then you are at a higher risk of the two but not on the list unless you are over 70 and possibly other underlying health issues.(Dr Hilary on Lorraine last week). I am electrics LVSD and VSD with LBBB and mid 40's so also a young one. Well I like to think so. 😂x Only time will tell. Fingers crossed not on the list. 🤞
Hi Chrisbarrett100
Please see my post from earlier regarding the patients who would be in the very vulnerable group that would need to self isolate for 12 weeks. Heart Failure on its own would not put you in this category
healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...
Hi mate yea Iv just seen that
Now. I just wasn’t sure as my heart is still in the severe category and I have diabetes but looking at that list it seems it’s more for very terminal illnesses such as cancer and that. I wouldn’t like you say have myself down as that catergory after reading that. Just have to keep indoors still as much as we can though regardless and hope everyone else takes heed. Thanks for your reply. Take care pal.
Hi
Yes that's how I read it. Most of us on here just have to exercise caution and adopt social distancing .
Stay well.
Yes defo. You too pal. Stay safe
I disagree!
Heart failure is a serious condition affecting not just the heart but the lungs and kidneys to mention a few.
Heart failure never comes alone! It is an umbrella term for a collection of disease. Whether a person has systolic or diastolic heart failure, they have a serious condition and should self isolate whether they receive a letter or not.
The government list includes mostly immunocompromised patients who are most vulnerable not only because of their illnesses but for the medication that they take.
Not being on the list does not mean that you are less vulnerable. Someone with an ejection fraction of 25% or recurring pneumonia is vulnerable, make no mistake!
Yea I know. I never said I was gonna be out and about and not isolating. I said about the food and medication being dropped off so I wouldn’t have to go out. I know how serious my condition is. I have to live with everyday of my life. But if I’m not on that list I won’t get food or my meds picked up. That was one of the main reasons I asked. As I said in my initial post.
I responded to SpiritoftheFloyd Chris and the comment that „ Heart Failure on its own would not put you in this category„
If you are in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon said that even if you are not on the list but are in a vulnerable situation, you can contact the local council to explain your individual situation.
Chemists are delivering medication to people like you, just let them know.
Take care!
Ok sorry for the confusion. Thanks for the information mauschen. I will give them a call if I receive no letter maybe just for the picking up of meds more than anything else. Hope everyone gets through this anyways. Best of luck everyone.
I'm sorry but is not what the NHS has said. The people who be told to self isolate for 12 weeks are those with the conditions listed.
We are all vulnerable, but people with the conditions listed are at an exceptional level of risk and particularly vulnerable
I agree that the illnesses mentioned on the list are of exceptional vulnerability. However, as seen here, people are getting concerned and confused about their own vulnerability.
Anyone with an underlying health condition are advised by the World Health Organisation to stay at home. Both Boris and Nicola have reiterated this advice on several occasions.
I believe it is important to reinforce this message so that there is no confusion.
Take care!
• in reply tomauschen
The highly vulnerable group includes those whose compromised immune systems (a) make it more likely that they will become infected if exposed and (b) make it less likely that they will be able to fight it off. As HF patients we may be in the latter group but we are not in the former.
Nevertheless, we’d still be advised to take as few risks as possible with respect to social interaction and cleanliness, although we’re not (yet) being told to stay home alone for 12 weeks.
mauschen• in reply to
This is what I have said in my previous post.
The only differing point you make is about HF patients not being immunocompromised which is not necessarily true.
There can be many underlying causes for HF where patients might have a compromised immune system. These patients are known to their doctors and will be notified by letter about what to do next.
• in reply tomauschen
Yes you are right. HF per se does not equate to immunodeficiency. There will be something else going on to cause immunodeficiency and immunodeficiency does not automatically lead to HF. So, as I said, immunodeficiency cases are very vulnerable, whether or not they have HF; HF patients are not very vulnerable, unless they are also immunodeficient.
mauschen• in reply to
I disagree! Heart failure patients are a very vulnerable group.
This the advice given by the BHF updated today.
There is a group of extremely vulnerable ' uber high risk '
It is this group who will be sent letters. GPs will also have the discretion to advise other patients to self isolate too.
My friend who lives with Cardiomypathy has just recieved a text to self isolate.
Then a group who are 'particularly high risk ' they need to social distance with greater care.
bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...
gov.uk/government/publicati...
We all are at risk of becoming infected and must practice social distancing along with the basic hygiene measures
Stay safe and well everyone
• in reply tomauschen
You are of course free to disagree with the UK's Chief Medical Officer.
mauschen• in reply to
gov.uk/government/publicati...
• in reply tomauschen
Quote:
Note: there are some clinical conditions which put people at even higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. If you are in this category, next week the NHS in England will directly contact you with advice about the more stringent measures you should take in order to keep yourself and others safe. For now, you should rigorously follow the social distancing advice in full, outlined below.
People falling into this group are those who may be at particular risk due to complex health problems such as:
people who have received an organ transplant and remain on ongoing immunosuppression medication
people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy
people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia who are at any stage of treatment
people with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma (requiring hospital admissions or courses of steroid tablets)
people with severe diseases of body systems, such as severe kidney disease (dialysis)
Heart failure is not mentioned above.
I agree it should be on the list, I'm 36 have had heart failure for 5 years and a complete heart block all my life,
I'm currently on the transplant list and any sort of infection especially chest wipes me out and puts me in hospital anyway so I don't really need the list to tell me I should be very careful and not go out but it would help to be on it as you are recognised as needing protection and help for things like medication and help with shopping. I'm not very mobile and live alone so it is a bit worrying.
All the previous lists on the NHS site did have heart failure and heart disease as underlying conditions to be aware of so I was surprised that the new list only has it on if you are also pregnant.
Take care pal. Mauschen just gave a bit of good info about Scotland so maybe worth the call here If your struggling to get food and pick up medication. Look after yourself mate and hope you get sorted soon.
Please contact your local council. It’s people like you that the government wants to help.
In this difficult situation, it is not easy for the government to think of everything and everyone. However, they want to ensure that anyone in a vulnerable state regardless of age, gets the support that they need. You just need to identify yourself as needing support.
Take care!
Yeah, I have quite a good team around me, my cardiologist, social worker, social care and heart failure nurse. So I have plenty people to contact, but I'll admit I am guilty of not wanting to kick up a fuss and playing down my situation a bit. I always get told off for being too layed back but this is getting serious now.
my usual routine of ordering on amazon prime is becoming difficult as there's no delivery slots. I've been trying to order for 3 days with no luck.
Hi yes we will be on the list especially if you have an ICD with defibrillates you,would be surprised if I didn’t get a letter,be safe out there.
From what I understand, we are on the vulnerable list so to isolate as much as can along with the over 70's etc however we are not in the High risk.
Stay safe. X
For those who cant get out Pharmacies will deliver if asked. Also lots of small firms and milkmen offering deliveries. I belong to a local covid help group. And the 'nextdoor' community group. All offering help. More tricky in rural areas tho. Good luck all and stay safe.
Me too Chris but it’s your entire ( medical) outlook that’s ultimately important not just the pumping number.someonecould be 40 per cent with diabetes and be much worse off . The important thing is do everything you can and chin up !!!
Hi I found out I have heart failure last April I'm 61 and it hit me like a ton of bricks I really feel sorry for you young ones your old enough to be my children I also have copd so I bet I get 1 of them letters I don't need reminded about what I have to do it proved it on Friday when my 2 grandsons age 10 and 7 said nana we cant stay at your flat tonight because your so poorly that broke my heart I can't imagine not seeing them for 3 month
We are high risk but the list you are referring to is for ultra high risk patients and the govt have decided in their wisdom (!) to omit cardiovascular/heart issues from this list so we won’t get letters unless we also have one of the conditions listed eg COPD.
This doesn’t mean we should not be self isolating, we should. It just means we won’t get the help given to those on the list to facilitate that!
My GP daughter says she can’t emphasise enough to mr that I am high risk because of my heart failure and is amazed we are not on the list as it makes it confusing , she is worried we will then think it’s ok not to self isolate when in fact it is vital
Your daughter is correct, anyone with a serious underlying health condition is high risk and should self isolate and minimise social contact.
What the government are trying to do is to identify people who are extremely vulnerable. This means, the people who are very ill but with no one to collect medications or food for them or bring them to a doctors appointment .
Many people receiving the letters will not be in need of this service as they will have a support network around them of people who can shop for them and collect medications.
The food parcels will initially be free and contain basic items suitable for the dietary needs of the individual. Thereafter, it is hoped that a more suitable shopping arrangement can be made. This was unfortunately necessary because some people were too ill to shop and had no one to help them and even when someone could help them, the shelves were stripped of essential items.
Take care!
We don’t appear to be on ‘The List’ but there are sure to be kind and caring people in your neighbourhood who will be happy to go and pick up your meds or even help with other errands. The Nextdoor social media site (nextdoor.co.uk) is designed for local neighbourhood use and has a Help Map which identifies people who have offered to help those in need and their location.
My wife and I decided to socially distance ourselves but she kept shouting and banging on the door to be let back in last night.
Here is a list from Italy of the underlying health conditions that people who have died from Covid-19 were suffering:
epicentro.iss.it/coronaviru...
It's in Italian so will need a translation, but high blood pressure appears to be one of the main problems (76%), you can see the other conditions and make your own assumptions from that. I don't know about you, but I think most older people could be said to have high blood pressure.
Hi Chris, any conditions other than perfect health is a concern and an underlying condition. Anyone on this site is at risk.
Stay safe and please everyone heed the advice given. It’s the only way we will get through this.
If you are in the high risk category, you will get a text or letter from the NHS.
It has been stated that 1.5 mill people will be contacted to let them know if they are on the ‘at risk ‘ list. It’s awful not knowing, I have a pacemaker and had my thyroid blasted with radioactive iodine 20 months ago and I’m not on any medication yet. I suppose we will soon find out.
As I see it there are three categories. (1) Everyone. Practice social distancing, don't go out unless necessary, wash hands etc. (2) People with certain conditions - heart failure was on this list issued a while ago but it seems to have disappeared (?) Follow the advice for everyone but be particularly careful and self isolate if possible. (3) Those who are very very vulnerable will get the letter. They will be asked not to go out at all, so there will be some kind of delivery service.
I do not think there is a "one size fits all" here....Pablo 😎⚽️🍷
Hi spoke to my Dr today have had two heart attacks plus AF and heart failure on all types of medication from two blood thinners and all the usual medication I was told I am at risk but not the 1.5 who will receive letters however he said it may be wise to isolate as they still don’t know enough about corona so be very cautious
Not sure but I have just had a telephone consultation with my surgeon. I had gone into AF and irregular rhythm after my bypass and went in about a month ago for a jump start. All seems to be going well but he's just told me to self isolate for the next couple of months.
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