Social distancing and food shopping

[GinnyE]

So, if you have RA you’re in high risk group and shouldn’t go out unless necessary. Well, buying food online is going to be impossible soon I would guess. How are you all going to get your shopping. My husband says we could try going to the supermarket in the middle of the night when it will be quiet.

[Hidden]

Yeah but they won’t be anything left on the shelves. Once upon a time stocking was done over night.it cost too much so they stopped it.

[Mmrr]

I've found the smaller local shops quieter and better stocked than the big supermarkets. I've got everything I need with no panic buying.

[Dobcross1]

Think most of us will have no choice but to carrying on shopping as normal, given there are no delivery slots for 2 weeks near me! Going to abide by hand washing before and after and social distancing whilst shopping and being as quick as possible. I need to shop for my elderly Mum too so don't really have a choice!😁

[Hidden in reply to Dobcross1]

I too have to shop for my elderly Mum, it is a worry but we have to do it

[Nuttyshirlz]

I live alone and my family don’t live near. I was looking for something closer to my youngest son. But guess that’s gone on hold now. I normally get home delivery once a month and just pop to shops for odd things like milk. Yesterday couldn’t even find eggs yesterday. I live alone but never felt so alone.

[Pippy25 in reply to Nuttyshirlz]

I too live alone and have no family support. I have just been to the shops for the last time early thing this morning and it wasn't nice, people now not keeping their distance like last week, lunging in front of you and open coughing still. I don't know how to do online shopping and had a look before and it said minimum spend £40 which is a lot to me and as others have said getting slots will be hard. Take care Nuttyshirlz, we can do this that's what we have to keep saying and it will pass. Keep strong and focused and perhaps make a to do list of things which may need to be done or you've put off doing. Never feel alone we are here x

[Nuttyshirlz in reply to Pippy25]

Yes most ppl don’t get 40 a lot. When you live a lone you don’t eat that much. I’ve even got milk pots that you get in cafes Bm bargains doing them for 1 for 20 so they my back up plan but I’m home for 12 weeks now

[Pippy25 in reply to Nuttyshirlz]

Yes I too got some of those from Home Bargain the other week as a back up. I think they were Carnation milk pots. We are thinking on the same line here. Hope you are ok? I had a bit of a wobble yesterday as the reality of isolating for 12 weeks sunk in but I'm ok.

[KittyJ in reply to Nuttyshirlz]

Don't feel so alone Nuttyshirlz, we are here for you.

PM me if you like, but do keep joining in here whilst we are all self isolating. No-one should feel they are alone now there are groups like this to join in with. X

[Kerensa21]

google.com/amp/s/amp.thegua...

Saw this last night, there’s an article on bbc news about it too x

[GinnyE in reply to Kerensa21]

Thanks. Encouraging. Hopefully other supermarkets will follow.

[Kerensa21 in reply to GinnyE]

Hope so GinnyE, gave me a bit of hope, nice when businesses/people take things into own hands & offer support, go Iceland 👍😊

[Ozzy]

I have been unable to book online even worse than Christmas....had to send my husband out for food but he couldn’t get much of my list. I been sick all week with the worse cold I’ve ever had and he couldn’t even buy tissues but he did manage lemsip

[KittyJ]

My husband will go out to get anything we need, he isn’t high risk so he will just be very careful.

[mistymeana]

A lot of the supermarkets are now announcing they will set aside times (usually first things in the morning) just for vulnerable people to shop. Hopefully the shelves will have been stocked overnight and everything cleaned and it will be quieter without people pushing and shoving. I had an email from Tesco earlier to confirm this.

[GinnyE in reply to mistymeana]

Yes I've just seen news feed.... Sainsburys 7am to 8 am tomorrow, Tesco Mon Wed Fri 9 -10 am and Asda before 9am Friday. I think they will stock up overnight . This could be the answer for us as on line delivery cannot hope to cope. Good wishes x

[KittyJ in reply to mistymeana]

How do they vet you for being vulnerable, do you know mistymeana?

[mistymeana in reply to KittyJ]

I expect they'll just rely on people's honesty. They can't expect a doctor's letter or anything. I might take a copy of my repeat prescription list - they'd soon get fed up reading through it

[KittyJ in reply to mistymeana]

Let us know how you get on. I’m just avoiding places like that but it might be good for others😊

[Neonkittie17 in reply to mistymeana]

Yes that is what I was thinking for people to try get a slot if no letter emerging, as even though the doc doesn’t have anything to do with prescribing Mtx or Rtx it is listed on the repeat script list as being administered in hospital/sent from healthcare company, so is proof of you taking biologics/immune suppressants. Many letters just won’t reach people and many people will not be identified or will be wrongly identified. I was told be a rheumy nurse I spoke to that they were having a difficult time identifying patients who were high risk at the hospital. Obviously the department/hospital aren’t able to be able to collate who is on biological etc or types of at risk with comorbidities. One of the uni’s in Manchester has a biological register but it’s for all northern patients and not specific hospitals I’m told and that’s for monitoring different purposes. x

[Hessie5]

Hi - I went shopping today at 11:30 bought enough fruit, veg, fish, nuts, and a few treats to last well over 5 days. It seems when you think it's going to be busy it was absolutely fine ☺️ - I was in Waitrose. The chap said the queues were ridiculous early morning, they rush in just grabbing everything.

I refuse to do this panic buying - I don't look at it what they haven't got - but how can I improvise and work with what the stores have in. ☺️