‘I am hopeful’: Excitement and anxiety as shielding comes to an end for millions

Change of government advice greeted with cautious optimism after year of isolation

Sukhjeen Kaur, left, and Bethany Bale have welcomed the end of shielding (Supplied)

Nearly four million of the most vulnerable people in the UK are no longer being asked to shield to avoid Covid-19.

The government’s advice was updated on 1 April for people in England and Wales as the prevalence of the virus continues to fall, with many of the most clinically at-risk now vaccinated.

The change has been met with cautious optimism by some of those affected, many of whom have been isolated for more than a year.

An initial list of 2.2 million clinically extremely vulnerable people, including those with various cancers, on immunosuppression drugs or with severe respiratory conditions. were advised to shield in March 2020. A further 1.7 million were added to the list as a result of additional risk analysis earlier this year.

Sukhjeen Kaur, a 22-year-old student from Worcester who has been shielding since the beginning of the pandemic, told The Independent she is “extremely happy” the advice has been lifted and to be able to resume her final year of university.

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She added: “I am really looking forward to completing my final year at university in September and actually having a normal summer for a 22-year-old. It's not been nice being ‘different’ to others my age due to my illness and having to shield.

“I am really hopeful.”

(Sukhjeen Kaur)

Ms Kaur said the government’s handling of shielding has been “poor”, with the relaxation of shielding advice in summer 2020 causing “serious complications” and leaving her without support.

“I won’t be coming out of lockdown the way the government has advised. I will be taking things much slower to reduce the anxiety I feel around going back to ‘normal’. I will also be waiting until after I have had my second vaccine until I start seeing people outside of my household again,” she added.

Lauren*, a 27-year-old journalist from Surrey, also told The Independent she was hesitant, but happy to see the end of shielding.

“It’s really hard after a year to try and be like, ‘off you go out to the world’ as if nothing’s happened,” she said. “I’m quite cautious about it but equally I’m very fed up and quite keen to have something that looks like normality back.

“I’m glad that shielding has an end because I don’t think I could have carried on too much longer if it was just going to keep being an indefinite thing.”

Lauren’s year of isolation has prompted her to decisively prioritise her social life when it is safe to do so.

She said: “I am quitting my job. I have to work every Saturday and having only been able to see my friends for three weeks in August, I’m really reluctant to give up any free time that I have.”

Sophie Balfour, 25, from West Yorkshire, who has been shielding as a result of her cystic fibrosis, told The Independent that “I love the idea that I can just go and follow the rules and be outside and see my friends, but at the same time I am absolutely terrified. 

“It’s quite weird to think, actually, I can now go off and meet up with a group of people when I have not done that in a year.

“I don’t know if I will be ending shielding now”.

“It is good that we are returning hopefully to better situations but shielding does take its toll mentally. I am excited to see people again and hopefully get a job and go on adventures. But, I am aware I have pretty much spent a year of my life indoors and I don’t want to be scared of the outside, it is not a nice feeling.”

The lifting of shielding advice comes with 30.9 million having received one dose of a Covid vaccine and with 4.1 million people fully vaccinated.

Bethany Bale, from Essex, who has been shielding since March 2020, is marking her first day out of shielding by getting her second dose of the vaccine.

“From the privileged position of someone who is getting their second vaccine today, as well not being forced back to the office, I personally am looking forward to the end of shielding today” she told The Independent.

(Bethany Bale)

“However, I am very aware that there are many others who are not in this lucky position. But, I feel most comfortable this time round - compared to than when shielding ended in July and November - as at least now all clinically extremely vulnerable people should have least had their first dose” she added.

Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said last month that “now is the right time for people to start thinking about easing up on these more rigid guidelines” as infections fall.

But she added: "If you have been shielding, we strongly urge you to take extra precautions following 1 April to keep yourself as safe as possible, such as continuing to observe social distancing and working from home.

"We will continue to monitor all of the evidence and adjust this advice should there be any changes in infection rates."

*Name changed at request of interviewee