Heads Up: Got this text message yesterday. High... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Heads Up

•

Got this text message yesterday. High risk in this context not related to age - OH is older than me and hasn’t had one. Wasn’t categorised as ‘high risk’ in last outbreak.

I’ve looked into this and it seems that the ‘high risk’ criteria have been revised and that some neurological and psychiatric disorders are now included - also Diabetes 1 and 2 and COPD and severe asthma

No sign of any thyroid conditions including Graves or Hashimotos. 🙄

Link will take you to further information and also Gov.UK

Dear Mrs XXXX

You may be high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19. You may be eligible for treatment if you contract Covid-19. It is important that you *Keep rapid lateral flow tests at home *Take a rapid lateral flow test if you get symptoms *Report your test result to the surgery or 111. Further info can be found at nhs.uk/conditions/coronavir... OR call 119.

XXXX Surgery

This issue, as posted, applies only to England. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales may have similar, parallel, even over-lapping issues but the link is to NHS England.

[ Edited by admin to identify scope. ]

Read more about...

65 Replies

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HealthStarDust2 years ago

Criteria can be found in the Green Book. gov.uk/government/publicati...

Those NHS pages are too vague in some areas. Endocrine disorders are included to some degree.

To be honest, anyone can go on the vaccine booking website and claim to be an unpaid carer and get one should they want. There would be no challenge as many are unpaid carers.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

To be clear. This is about getting newly developed treatments if you fall into the high risk category. Long Covid is an ongoing concern for these groups

The information should be read carefully

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Ahhh. Thanks for clarifying.

HealthStarDust2 years ago

P.S. what is meant by psychiatric disorders in this context?

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

That’s not clear unfortunately. If they’re going to include everyone who’s being treated for anxiety or depression it will be a huge cohort

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Exactly. I’m looking at this nice.org.uk/guidance/ta878/... and there’s no mention of psychiatric disorders since it’s been updated.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

The link I got yesterday has, according to the press, gone out this week to all ‘high risk’ groups so I would doubt it’s lacking

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

I can’t find it either - and I’ve read it today 🙈

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Maybe just a misuse of the word psychiatric? Otherwise, I may expect to see SMI on the NICE list for example. Horrible word anyway.

I’ll check my family member’s text 😂

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

What concerns me is that I don’t actually meet any of those criteria I’ve had two cancers which are now in remission and I’ve recently had neurological investigations - but the dx was not any of those listed.

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Very odd indeed.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

I suppose that those patients ‘at high risk’ have been identified via field searches on the computer. Goodness knows. It’s all beyond me. 🙄

Blissful• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

what is meant by psychiatric disorders in this context?

These days (in any context) it can be applied to anyone who doesn't agree with the main stream narrative.

• in reply toBlissful2 years ago

That’s rather an overstatement. Psychiatric illness is medically defined but the terminology is abused.

Blissful• in reply to2 years ago

It wasn't an overstatement - it was a statement of FACT.

The current era is Kafkaesque.

• in reply toBlissful2 years ago

I disagree entirely

Blissful• in reply to2 years ago

Political abuse of psychiatry is nothing new.

2 years ago

I’ve just realised why there’s always a gap in replies on here. You don’t have to press REPLY if no one’s posted between the person you’re replying to and yourself 🥹

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

That’s too technical for me to even understand 😂

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

In the scheme of things, it’s not important 😤

greygoose2 years ago

XXXX Surgery

Your surgery sent you kisses???

• in reply togreygoose2 years ago

Mmmm. They really love me 😂

greygoose• in reply to2 years ago

😂

JonesTheAverage2 years ago

I’d check with your surgery, because apparently I tested positive to Covid when I even didn’t take a test…they made a mistake, pressed wrong button. It happens.

• in reply toJonesTheAverage2 years ago

Yes. I’m going to check today. I’m afraid my surgery is very ‘sloppy’. It’s probably a mistake 🥺

Polo22• in reply toJonesTheAverage2 years ago

you must have got my tick , my records only show 1 positive result, think it was June this year, no mention of March last year. can't blame them for not having other's as didn't report. I have been fully vaccinated, boosted, have youngest who is classed as clinically vulnerable. I wonder if some of my problems are ? Long Covid, but would probably be told not , they don't listen at the best of times. It is odd, eldest son is on vulnerable patient list has already had covid booster and flue jab this month, days apart. Next two sons, also on list not been vaccinated at all.

Sparklingsunshine• in reply toJonesTheAverage2 years ago

Yes I asked for this to be removed, no idea why it was on my records. I've never tested positive for Covid and even if I had I wouldn't inform the surgery. Very peculiar.

• in reply toSparklingsunshine2 years ago

It’s ridiculous. Just how much information is inaccurate

Helsan2 years ago

I am high risk type1 diabetic no thyroid. My surgery never managed to get my last booster as I am highly allergic and need a non mrna vaccine. Due to the withdrawal of AZ this seemed to be an impossible mission. I have complained to nhs about discrimination against those with allergies as it is so difficult to get the current equivalent vaccine and I have long covid from covid last December. No such text from our surgery. My husband had his covid booster last week. They are ‘trying’ to get kine. We shall see. This is the list from renewed info.

The clinical at-risk groups within scope of this digital cohort development (as specified by NHS England) are:

Adults aged 16 years and over:

chronic respiratory disease

chronic heart disease and vascular disease

chronic kidney disease

chronic liver disease

chronic neurological disease

Diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders

Immunosuppression

Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen

morbidly obese

severe mental illness

• in reply toHelsan2 years ago

I’ve got that list Helsan but don’t fit into any of those categories - unless I’ve been diagnosed with any of those conditions and they’ve forgotten to tell me 😑. This isn’t outside the realms of possibility as I’ve had so many investigations lately.

Where did you get that list from Helsan? The list I got via the link doesn’t seem to include severe mental illness - but I have seen it somewhere

HealthStarDust• in reply toHelsan2 years ago

Is this for the vaccine or Covid treatment and is there a link?

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

😩

Helsan2 years ago

digital.nhs.uk/services/coh...

• in reply toHelsan2 years ago

Yes. I saw that but strangely is not on the list in the link.

Helsan• in reply to2 years ago

The list I posted is copied from that link

• in reply toHelsan2 years ago

I know 😉. The list given in the link sent to me by the surgery doesn’t include Severe Mental Disorders.

The link you’ve provided is to the Green Book.

Why on earth it has to be so complicated I don’t know.

HealthStarDust• in reply toHelsan2 years ago

This link is for vaccines not treatment and the same as the Green Book.

Gummybearx2 years ago

I was told by the Respiratory Specialist in June that I was eligible for the Covid, as I had 2 immunosuppressed conditions. I have severe asthma and on long term steriods and Hashimotos. When he said this I was surprised and said that it does not say anywhere about this about being immunosuppressed or eligible. He said he knows that it is not clear anywhere at all. So I booked my covid vaccine and guess what, the nurse told me I was eligible due tk Hashimotos as well. It is very strange that in all the info out there it does not say this. But also means during Covid, that being immunosuppressed, would not of had to wait the turn for vaccines.

• in reply toGummybearx2 years ago

The info I’ve received makes it very clear that this isn’t about elegibility for Covid vaccination. It’s about having a high risk condition which makes you eligible for the three newly developed treatments.

This is why people who receive that text are asked to self test and contact GP if they test positive.

Gummybearx• in reply to2 years ago

Yes I understand that, but we are immunosuppressed and are at high risk if we have severe asthma or Hashimotos

• in reply toGummybearx2 years ago

Severe asthma requiring certain drug therapy is on the list. Some autoimmune diseases are listed but not Hashimotos. The latter is not considered to be a greater risk than any form of hypothyroidism.

As usual, definition of ‘high risk’ is muddy. The devil is in the detail. The only thing we can do is ask questions

I’ve received an email which tells me that I’m ‘at risk’. I’ll phone the surgery today and ask why

Titaniumfox• in reply toGummybearx2 years ago

Hashimoto's doesn't cause immune suppression. It's the opposite.

• in reply toTitaniumfox2 years ago

Correct. Because it’s an autoimmune disease there’s a lot of misunderstanding

HealthStarDust• in reply toGummybearx2 years ago

As far as I am aware, there is a degree of flexibility in it all ie if a consultant thinks you are at risk despite guidelines. Thai could be case for comorbidities.

2 years ago

OH thinks this information is deduced via an algorithm. 😤

2 years ago

I’m hoping to get more information from surgery today but I’m not holding my breath.

2 years ago

For clarity. In one of the lists, Serious Mental Illness is defined in the descriptor as Individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or any mental illness that causes severe functional impairment

HealthStarDust2 years ago

I think it’s another problem for the postcode lottery people theguardian.com/society/202...

2 years ago

oh well. Here we go. I phoned the surgery as I said I would. Before even asking any questions about my ‘conditions’ she asked if I had thyroid drugs. She couldn’t have known that as I self source Thyroid S. She said that people taking thyroid hormones were now considered ‘at high risk’ as thyroid hormones compromise immune system

I’m perplexed helvella

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Interesting. So our Heads Up is that this is all non consistent and murky? Stands to reason.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

I’m wondering if it’s some sort of ‘points system’ as I do have several chronic conditions including neurological

• in reply to2 years ago

Surey it's lack of thyroid hormones that compromises the immune system, not the fact of taking them as medication?

• in reply to2 years ago

One would think so. I can’t believe this is so.

My brother in law lives 200 miles away, has no thyroid and takes Levo. He has not been categorised as ‘high risk’.

Receptionist said all patients who take thyroid hormones received this text.

You couldn’t make it up 😫

• in reply to2 years ago

Diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders

This is in the link. Newly identified conditions. I wonder if they’ve picked up ‘thyroid’ from that?

• in reply to2 years ago

Quite likely. Just shows how ignorant they are about the whole thyroid thing.

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Which link? And, do you mean for Covid treatment or vaccine?

I’m wondering if I’m in the high risk category for treatment now and somehow been missed by my GP Practice.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

I’m not referring to vaccine any where in this thread. Discussing vaccine will get this thread closed down.

Everything I’ve said relates to high risk conditions for treatment if a test is carried out and found to be positive.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

The link sent by GP to patients who are at high risk if they get Covid and may require one of the 3 new treatments.

HealthStarDust• in reply to2 years ago

Ah. The link I can not see. Ah well. Seems very messy.

• in reply toHealthStarDust2 years ago

It’s in the first post in this thread. You can see it very clearly if you look. I posted the whole text message to avoid confusion. I’ve clearly failed

2 years ago

I despair. We thyroidites get ignored most of the time. Then there’s a sudden outburst of hysteria like this.

• in reply to2 years ago

True. Although we do often get told it's all in our heads. So maybe mental illness qualifies us too?

2 years ago

I will email my GP friend and see what they’re doing in Sussex. I usually get more sense out of him than my GP Practice 😤

2 years ago

I think I’ll stop commenting now. The problem is that no one reads the thread from the top. No one’s got the time to read the information given or the links therein.

Why people keep honing in on vaccine issues I don’t know. This is about three new treatments which are available for high risk groups