Wednesday 8 April:

Daily exercise? Moira and I have been going for daily walks during our self-imposed self-isolation regime…

According to the BBC website on 15 March: “Every Briton over the age of 70 will be told ‘within the coming weeks’ to stay at home for an extended period to protect themselves from coronavirus. When it happens, they will be asked to stay home for ‘a very long time’, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. The government is to release social distancing advice for elderly people on Monday - but they will not yet be asked to self-isolate for long periods”.

On 23 March, the government ruled that (all) people should stay at home and only leave the house for these four reasons:

1.    Shopping for necessities

2.    Once a day for exercise

3.    Medical need or providing care

4.    Travelling to or from work (if you can't work from home)

Well, it seems that (at least) some of us over-70s at high risk from coronavirus have now actually been officially told to “stay at home at all times”. Yesterday, I received a letter from NHS North Bristol Trust stating: “The NHS has identified you… as someone at risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus. This is because you have an underlying disease or health condition that means if you catch the virus, you are more likely to be admitted to hospital than others. The safest course of action is for you to stay at homes at all times and avoid face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks from today… This will protect you by stopping you from coming into contact with the virus”.

Then, at the end of yesterday afternoon, I received this text from UK.Gov: “NHS Coronavirus Service: Your condition means you are at high risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus. Please remain at home for 12 weeks unless a healthcare professional tells you to leave. You will get a letter from the NHS to confirm this”.

This was immediately followed by a further text from UK.Gov: “NHS Coronavirus Service: You can open a window but do not go outside your property. Ask others to take rubbish to bins and to walk any pets. If you need a repeat prescription…”.

A strict interpretation of the above would seem to indicate that my daily walks seem to have come to an end? Is that correct?

This morning’s ‘The Independent’ newspaper stated this:

“It emerged thousands of vulnerable Britons at high risk from coronavirus have not yet been told they should be staying indoors for 12 weeks. With the peak of the virus thought to be several days away, officials have admitted there have been ‘mixed messages’ about which people should be ‘shielding’…”.

The BBCwebsite (1 April) provided this explanation of ‘shielding’:

“More than a million people most at risk of needing hospital treatment if they catch coronavirus are being asked to stay at home for at least 12 weeks.

This "shielding" is to protect lives.

Why do it?

Cases of coronavirus are increasing rapidly in the UK, which suggests it is circulating in the community and spreading from person to person.

While everyone is being advised to keep their distance from other people to help stop the spread, some people with underlying health conditions need to take even more precautions to protect themselves.

Who should do it?

Those most at risk, who include:

·         Solid organ transplant recipients

·         Some people with cancer who are undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy

·         People on immunosuppression drugs

·         Women who are pregnant and have heart disease

·         People with severe respiratory conditions - cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and COPD

·         Some people with rare diseases such as severe combined immunodeficiency

Anyone in this highest risk category who has not received a letter from the NHS by Sunday 29 March 2020 or been contacted by their doctor should get in touch with their GP or hospital doctor by phone or online.

This does not include all elderly people, although they are strongly advised to practice social distancing and only go out if really necessary”.

I’m assuming that I’m on the “at risk of severe illness” list due to my possible ‘pulmonary fibrosis history’ (from April 2017). But I’ve been given a clear ‘bill of health’ at my annual checks (and I now feel absolutely fine), so I don’t actually consider myself as having a “severe respiratory condition”. Clearly, in the current circumstances, it’s impracticable for the NHS to be able to clarify every individual’s precise circumstances but, for the time being at least, I’m going to continue to take my daily walks (taking due care and doing so at times to minimise any potential proximity with others). In due course, depending on how things develop, I suspect the government might impose a “stay at home at all times” ruling for ALL over-70s… and, who knows, maybe for the entire population?