My understanding is that the risk of infection is only heightened if a person is in a heightened risk environment, not if a person has existing health problems.
The people with existing health issues are at a higher risk of serious illness if they become infected with Covid-19. This is the reason for shielding.
The trouble with that interpretation is nobody knows where that high risk environment is - do they?
People with existing health issues are of course more likely to pick up any bug....so we all live with that anyway.
Obviously on a crowded bus or train where people are in very close proximity to each other, they are far more likely to breathe in infected droplets from somebody else....so that would be called a high risk environment.
But i’m sure many people who do catch the virus have not been on a train or bus in weeks.
My friend passed away with Covid 19 on his death certificate ...and he & his wife had been nowhere except their own house and back garden for weeks.
Everybody has to take great care...... However we must all get on with our lives as best we can, and not be tempted into sitting at home staring at four walls......that will just cause even more anxiety, & that is the last thing anybody needs.......hopefully we are approaching the end of increasing infections now....or at least very soon.....
Without any clarity or conclusive research as to how and where as you say AC we simply don't know in what environments this virus is circulating in be it in crowded environments or as you so sadly mentioned about your friend and his wife who had not been anywhere other than their own environment. I'm sure in time when more information becomes available we may have a better understanding of this virus, but for now as you say we have to try and get on with our lives, take sensible precautions based upon our own set of circumstances and hope that in time to come either they find a vaccine or treatment that will offer us some level of protection or at the very best eradicate this thing. I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your friend and more so in times like this. Take care
Sorry to hear that AC. Hope his wife is coping.
That's really sad, I'm sorry to hear that.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. I hope that his wife and family are have great comfort, peace, and strength, for today and the days ahead.
I don’t know for sure, but I’m sure I’ve read that some health conditions make you more vulnerable to catching the virus as you succumb even if only minimal contact with it. The reverse of that is the healthy nurses and doctors who came down with it because they were exposed to such a high viral load.
But yes, main reason is that can be serious for people with some existing health conditions. I’m still optimistically hoping that they will finally decide that doesn’t include me!
The worst thing you can be if you catch a Corona virus is fat....so maybe all those people who insist they only “eat like a bird” will now realise birds eat a helluva lot too much.
Seriously though all the reports do say that...but I’m also sure if you are at the other end of the spectrum you wouldn’t do too well either.,....Particularly if your lungs are none too robust.
But tbh I just think it’s the luck of the draw.....Let’s hope we are all lucky!
Sadly stressing about it 24/7 won’t help...so we might as well enjoy life.
Yup, there’s an element of luck so you do what you can and don’t worry about the rest. Family a few doors down all came down with it, and every single one of them has a BMI over 30 and daughter and mother over 40. All fine now..... and still eating too much.
It has always amazed me how many doctors & nurses are not only fat....but smoke too!
After all you don’t go from being an acceptable weight to being obese overnight & if anyone should notice they should!
Stress,long irregular hours, (double shifts) weird mealtimes if any some days and putting everybody else first and dealing with events others can’t imagine can do that to you AC. Sometimes we need to walk a mile (or several as they do every shift) in their shoes. And that’s before they have dealt with their home and families.
MTX and risk of skin cancers with sun exposure 
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Online discussion opportunity about Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU)
