The government have announced the full list of people who will need to stay at home for 12 weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak.
From today (March 23), up to 1.5 million people have been identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract coronavirus and they will be urged to stay at home for 12 weeks.
The MEN reports those who have been identified as vulnerable by the NHS will receive a letter on Tuesday, followed up by an email and text if this has been approved by the GP.
It was also announced during yesterday’s daily briefing that a new Local Support System will make sure individuals who are self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family will receive basic groceries.
Community pharmacies will also support those in need by helping them to get essential medicines delivered.
Full list of those falling into the extremely vulnerable group:
- Solid organ transplant recipients
- People with specific cancers
- People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
- People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
- People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
- People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors.
- People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs.
- People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD
- People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell disease)
- People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
- Women who are pregnant and who also have significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.
The communications have been auto-generated to ensure no-one who could potentially be at risk is excluded, but it has been made clear individual conditions will be able to be discussed in the future.
However, those who receive a letter will be urged to remain indoors and avoid face to face contact with others for 12 weeks.
Those over 70, but who have not been identified by the NHS as high-risk, have been urged to practice stringent social distancing in a bid to lower the risk of catching COVID-19.
The government has also issued advice for those considered at-risk, and the lengths they should go to in order to avoid transmission of the virus.
The guidance for people at the highest risk
- Strictly avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough
- Do not leave your house for at least 12 weeks starting on Monday 22 March.
- Do not attend any gatherings. This includes gatherings of friends and families in private spaces e.g. family homes, weddings, parties and religious services.
- Do not go out for shopping, leisure or travel and, when arranging food or medication deliveries, these should be left at the door to minimise contact.
- Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media.
- Do use telephone or online services to contact your GP practice or other essential services as and when you need.
