Freedom Day in the UK

[Jenny_F]

Is anyone else worried about the relaxation of the current restrictions this month? I am hoping the work from home guidance will still stand but if people don’t socially distance or wear masks anymore that automatically sends me into self shielding mode as it won’t be as safe to go outside as it is now.

[azaelea]

Yes!I agree with you completely. When there’s this query over whether the vaccines are protecting us properly or not it is very worrying. Regards Fran

[JV4E]

HI, I'm really hoping the work from home guidance stays as well , particularly for those who don't know if they have generated a strong enough immune response like us in the Blood Cancer Community. Unfortunately there does seem to be an attitude of ....you've had two jabs now, you're good to go. And you are right that if people in the wider community stop wearing masks, stop social distancing etc, that puts people like us who may have no protection, at a greater risk than we are now. Everyone else moves forwards down the path of unlocking and freedom, whilst we move backwards.

[Jenny_F in reply to JV4E]

I wonder if we may have to end up getting a letter from a specialist or GP for our employers should any of us feel pressurised to go back into the office when we dont feel safe too. I personally keep my condition to myself as, although it makes no difference to my work performance, you never know of people are going to discriminate because of it.

[Susana7]

I am already noticing many cases of non-mask wearing on public transport... Personally, I will be wearing a mask on public transport for the foreseeable future regardless. And avoiding crowded places as much as possible. As for working from home, many employers are revising the way people work with a view to allowing more flexibility going forward - but it obviously depends on the job.

[MarkD6701]

You'd hope that whilst masks will no longer be mandatory people will strongly be advised to wear them on public transport and in supermarkets for example.

[Jenny_F in reply to MarkD6701]

Someone we know had the vaccines and went to Westfield shopping centre and caught the latest variant. She said next to no one was wearing a mask in there

[Ratton726]

as a retired woman -can't comment -but would say that if you have had 2 vacs-you are at least 90% protected-I am 76 and wear masks in buses/restaurants etc-at the moment-I don't feel afraid about coming out of lockdown!

[Jenny_F in reply to Ratton726]

I think the scary part is its affecting much younger people, who arent being catered for until recently

[piggie50 in reply to Ratton726]

The level of protection, if any, is still under debate for those of us with blood cancers.

[JediReject in reply to piggie50]

Judy, , a letter from ceo Antony Nolan in my local Gazette reporting the potential danger and gap with the antibody situation for blood cancer folk quoted "a recent study (didn't say which one) suggests only 13% of people with blood cancer had an antibody response after a single Pfizer dose" . Obviously this may have been a small sample size and not representative. However I think this illustrates that until other things are in place to give us confidence that we can fight off this virus without hospitalisation ie booster jabs towards Winter and easy access to antibody tests via our clinic appts or GP we must take responsibility for our own safety by keeping our guard up.

Stay Safe !!

Chris

[piggie50 in reply to JediReject]

Interesting Chris and I totally agree we need to look after ourselves. xx

[Tico in reply to Ratton726]

Although less likely to suffer serious side effects when you have the 2 vaccines, its still posible to have mild symptoms if you catch Covid therefore still able to pass it to another person especially with all these new variants being identified. So caution should still be adhered too. Tina.🤗

[Amethist]

No, I am looking forward to getting back to normal. So fed up of the masks etc.

As to whether the vaccines protect us, that has always been questionable. See BMJ opinion article: 26th Nov 2020 by Peter Doshi, on Pfizer and modernas 95 % effective vaccines, it explains this beautifully.

Now there are also plenty of credible concerns that the vaccines themselves may actually cause blood clots and there is a petition to the FDA sensibly requesting the FDA to wait for the science and data to be completed. There certainly need additional clarification on the biodistribution of where the vaccine actually goes, especially if it can enter the blood stream and use the endothelial cells to make the spike protein. The spike protein activates platelets and the clotting cascade, so definitively of interest to us guys. I am relieved that some scientists are now speaking out. Again, in a recent BMJ opinion article, 8th June 2021, the scientist explain why they have petitioned the FDA to refrain from fully approving any Covid vaccines. Very interesting.

Dr Sucharit Bhakdi, a virologist, gives a simplified explanation of how the vaccines may cause blood clots, if you are interested.

I think working from home has proved popular, so may well remain an option for those who wish to do so.

[Jenny_F in reply to Amethist]

Any vaccine is better than no vaccine - I am definitely not an anti-vaxer and have had both. The chances of getting a blood clot are very small but the chances of dying of Covid without any vaccines are very high. There are probably the same chances with a flu vaccine but I have that every year too. My worry is that we are getting back to normal too quickly because the government is concerned about the economy way more than its people or the NHS workers

[Amethist in reply to Jenny_F]

I am not anti vax either, fully vaccinated as are my 3 kids . Probably had more than most as used to work for NHS. I am pro-science though and I do like medical decisions to be based on real data, collected without bias, interpreted by scientists who have no conflict of interest.

[hunter5582 in reply to Amethist]

I am also sick to death of masks and shielding. It is an abnormal and undesirable lifestyle that cannot be maintained indefinitely. It most certainly was necessary to get the pandemic under control, but the science supports relaxing the restrictions at this point. That is not to say there are no risks, but the restrictions have gone on for about as long as they can be sustained.

The risks of relaxing restrictions have to be weighed against the risks of maintaining the retractions. The damage to the economy is substantial and carries a heavy social burden. We can anticipate higher rates of many social ills that accompany a poor economy. Job loss, higher deficits, drug abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, depression, and suicide all will increase with a diminished economy. The pandemic and shielding restrictions have certainly increased mental health and substance abuse concerns directly as well. The risks of maintaining the restrictions are substantial.

The vaccines do offer the best measure of protection available. They do carry risks and are not absolute protection, but that is true for all vaccines. We just each have to decide which risks we are willing to take and carry on with life how we choose to live it. The bottom line is that COVID may be here to stay just like influenza. It is just something we will have to learn to manage while carrying on with our lives.

On the bright side, perhaps we can learn something that will help us better manage all of the viruses that are present in our environment. Greater caution regarding hand washing and wearing masks during the height of a virus outbreak or when symptomatic would help control a host of diseases.

So not perfect answers. All we can do is the best we can do and use our own best judgement for what we each choose to do. All the best to all of you all.

[Minu68 in reply to hunter5582]

The other thing is, once the majority of people aren't wearing masks, wearing one yourself makes little difference - masks are mainly about protecting others, they don't offer a huge amount of protection against catching it.

I agree that we are all going to have to make decision based on our own risk factors, and feelings about being out. Some people may get highly anxious and want to carry on limiting being out, mental health is a huge issue arising from this pandemic, the lockdown, isolation but also the anxiety some now have about being around people in public areas.

Difficult times, but it will indeed be interesting to see if flu and colds for instance are lowered because of the covid protections that have been around.

[Ratton726]

I also have E.T - will speak to Haemo consultant (tel.appointmnt next week) and ask him what he thinks about protection of two vacs for people with blood cancers?!!

[Amethist in reply to Ratton726]

Hi Ratton, do be aware that the answer you get will be one that follows government guidelines. To say anything otherwise may put their job at risk.

What you could ask is which studies (of blood cancer patients + Covid vaccine) do they base their judgement on and ask them to send you a link to it. Maybe some new research is now available. I think that would be very interesting.

[CraftySpider]

Yes Jenny, like you I am concerned …and just wish we could get some idea about our level of immunity ( or lack of it ). I have been shielding for 15 months now. and would love to get on with life..but with more highly transmissible variants around, also feel the risks are too high.

[Paul_1971]

We have to remember, or at least in my view, that even if our own levels of protection are low, the fact the vaccine helps prevent transmission, then we are protected by default by others having the Jab.

I dont think we will ever be Covid free, its going to be with us, and we will be jabbed for it each year just like the Flu.

The thing that makes Covid more frightening is the micro analysis of infections and deaths. I understand its been needed but I hope it stops at some point. Of course any deaths are sad but its a fact of life, people catch things and become ill or die.

Lets face it in most years if the media published infection rates and deaths from Flu i could well be quite frightening, but we dont let that stop us going about our lives, and thats with a Jab thats less effective than the Covid ones are. Most of us who post on here would be at risk of serious illness, or worse, by catching the Flu (the proper one and not the one people say they have the flu when its just a heavy cold).

Appreciate some of my views might be quite blunt but as long as deaths remain low I am in favour of re-opening.

[Jenny_F in reply to Paul_1971]

I think my fear comes from the fact that I was an early adopter of it early last year, was very sick for about a month and was nearly hospitalised. The thought of going through that again really scares me

[Paul_1971 in reply to Jenny_F]

I can imagine yes. We all handle things differently and can only speak from our own viewpoint.

Tough times.

[Jenny_F]

I dont think this is a very helpful post. Given I have lost people I care about, of all ages and often without underlying medical conditions, to the virus I am not taking any chances. This is not flu its way worse and should be taken seriously. Its also very selfish not to think of others around you. Wearing a mask isn’t so much about protecting yourself as everyone else. I’m an X-Files fan and am very fond of a conspiracy theory but this is not a global experiment. Most governments are agonising about their economy but are putting people first. If you look at the mess in India, I know whats going on first hand because I work with them, and Brazil, where governments wont help or are not able to help, that should be proof enough that this is a serious global situation.

[Jenny_F]

I am not saying you havent a right to an opinion I am saying its not making me feel any better about getting back to ‘normal’ I am still not convinced its safe for people like me with an underlying condition and in the vulnerable list to be taking any chances. I dont read newspapers as nothing is valid in those. If in the last year I hadn’t seen people suffer from the disease I would agree but too many people around me have died or nearly died and it was definitely covid that killed them.

[Paul_1971 in reply to Jenny_F]

I would just ignore Jenny, when someone uses terminology like 'Wake up people and live your lives.' it goes beyond free speech, its becomes trying to change peoples views to that of your own. Which in this case is anti covid/vaxxer.

Thankfully most sensible people dont share these views.

[Rastavapa in reply to Paul_1971]

I'm not here to change views, just to try to open eyes a little, this is a forum Paul, everyone gets there say including you. Welcome to the Internet