# U-turn as splenectomy patients added to COVID-19 shielding list



## Northerner (Apr 24, 2020)

Patients who have undergone a splenectomy have been added to the COVID-19 shielding list, NHS England has confirmed, reversing its previous advice. 

During a webinar on 24 April, NHS England director of primary care Dr Nikki Kanani said: 'I know there's been confusion over splenectomy. Splenectomy is in the shielded patient list, and 45,000 patients who have had a splenectomy have been sent their letters already, and that that will obviously be added to but that's the broad number at the moment.'

The statement appears to reverse previous advice on shielding - updated on 11 April and still available on the NHS England website at the time of writing - which says patients 'who have had your spleen removed' are 'not in the highest clinical risk registry (or shielding group)'.

Guidance on shielding vulnerable patients from COVID-19 on the RCGP website suggests the earlier advice was a 'mistake'.









						U-turn as splenectomy patients added to COVID-19 shielding list
					

Patients who have undergone a splenectomy have been added to the COVID-19 shielding list, NHS England has confirmed, reversing its previous advice.




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## mikeyB (Apr 24, 2020)

That’ll be our Eggy trimming her sails, then.


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## eggyg (Apr 26, 2020)

Northerner said:


> Patients who have undergone a splenectomy have been added to the COVID-19 shielding list, NHS England has confirmed, reversing its previous advice.
> 
> During a webinar on 24 April, NHS England director of primary care Dr Nikki Kanani said: 'I know there's been confusion over splenectomy. Splenectomy is in the shielded patient list, and 45,000 patients who have had a splenectomy have been sent their letters already, and that that will obviously be added to but that's the broad number at the moment.'
> 
> ...


What? I’ve just seen this Alan. I haven’t had a letter, yet! I was going to try and speak to someone at the docs tomorrow anyways as I have just realised I am two years overdue my pneumonia vaccine. This isn’t good news for me. It’s bad enough not being able to go shopping etc.  but at least I could still get out for a walk. Bugger!


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## eggyg (Apr 26, 2020)

mikeyB said:


> That’ll be our Eggy trimming her sails, then.


I’m not happy Mike. I hope it’s not full blown sat in the house with the window cracked open shielding.


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## eggyg (Apr 26, 2020)

I’ve just read this online. Apparently splenectomy patients were “ mistakenly” left off the original shielding list. Thank goodness Mr Eggy has been self isolating too and we haven’t been in any shops or near any people. It’s shocking.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 26, 2020)

eggyg said:


> I’m not happy Mike. I hope it’s not full blown sat in the house with the window cracked open shielding.


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## trophywench (Apr 26, 2020)

Well Pete's been doing what you hope you don't need to, but he has been out in our garden front and back and we go to the end of our drive on Thursday evenings.  Other than that, neither of us has been anywhere where there could be random other people since March 12th, which is the last time we blithely went to Tesco and did the food shopping.

Driving us bats?  Yeah.  Rather have it than the inside of a coffin though Elaine.


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## mikeyB (Apr 27, 2020)

I’m going nowhere Eggy. Furthest I’ve travelled is down in the lift in my wheelchair using my crutch to press the buttons on the lift and exit Door button to pick up my Guardian in the morning. Now you are on the government (or Tesco) priority list shopping isn’t a problem.

It’s a new challenge, not a restriction. My brother was sentenced to 12 weeks detention as well, and he’s far fitter than I am -or you. He drives me to the Rovers, diagnosed with CLL 4 weeks before lockdown.

Like you, he loves a good walk, but he is also, like me, a competent painter, and content in his own company. While I’m waiting for art supplies, I’ll be getting  back to attempting to become fluent in Scots Gaelic, which, unlike Welsh, suffers from a paucity of consonants.

So fill your days. It’s the days that are long, not the weeks or months.

And make your own bubble, big or small.  Your home, the car, and anywhere devoid of people. But always leave your mobile at home.


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## eggyg (Apr 27, 2020)

Thanks @trophywench and @mikeyB I know it’s the right thing and I’ll do it of course. I’m nothing if not compliant! The problem is I’m very impatient and whilst I can sit and read for hours anything else sedentary drives me nuts! I can’t sew or knit or “craft” and jigsaws are the devils work! As you know I like my walking and birdwatching. I’ve decided to just wallow for a couple of days to get my head around it rather than going gung ho into a new hobby. Mr Eggy is going to convert our summer house into a bird hide, complete with a slot cut out the back panel. Our garden is a decent size, 40 yards long, I can devise some sort of walk that won’t make me dizzy, I need to keep the weight off and I won’t be doing Joe Wicks! It’s a lot to take in and it’s my worst nightmare TBF as I am a reasonably healthy fit person, apart from aches and pains! But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do and at least I don’t live in a tower block in the middle of a big city. Now THAT would be my worst nightmare.


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## Northerner (Apr 27, 2020)

Very sorry to hear this @eggyg  I have a friend in a similar position - very active, enjoys nature photography, but with a (well-controlled) kidney auto-immune problem. They were left off the original list, then added later because of the medication they take and very disappointed not to be able to get out and about  It'll fly past {{{2-metre HUGS}}} and hopefully everyone's efforts will mean we have cracked this sooner rather than later - at least enough to be able to get out a bit more


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## Eddy Edson (Apr 27, 2020)

What a drag, @eggyg ! Sympathies from a fellow walker.


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## trophywench (Apr 27, 2020)

It's made me laugh, every time I've seen snippets of someone 'doing a marathon round their garden to raise money for -' as they usually complain it's making them dizzy.  Eh?

Why on earth don't they do figures of 8?


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## Docb (Apr 27, 2020)

trophywench said:


> Why on earth don't they do figures of 8?



Because they would keep crashing into the fountain.... or the rotary drier if you are not that posh.


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## eggyg (Apr 27, 2020)

trophywench said:


> It's made me laugh, every time I've seen snippets of someone 'doing a marathon round their garden to raise money for -' as they usually complain it's making them dizzy.  Eh?
> 
> Why on earth don't they do figures of 8?


I’ve already been up and down the garden a dozen times already today, filling the bird feeders and bird bath. I must remember to wear my Fitbit all the time now! I’ll try the figure of eight Jenny.


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## eggyg (Apr 27, 2020)

Docb said:


> Because they would keep crashing into the fountain.... or the rotary drier if you are not that posh.


My fountain isn’t in the middle of our lawn , it’s at the edge, is that not as posh?


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## Eddy Edson (Apr 27, 2020)

eggyg said:


> My fountain isn’t in the middle of our lawn , it’s at the edge, is that not as posh?



Maybe you can get Mr Eggy to construct a garden obstacle course for you, to keep things interesting.


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## trophywench (Apr 27, 2020)

… or if he won't, come here.  I am not proud of it and it isn't as crowded, but Steptoe's Yard …….


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## eggyg (Apr 27, 2020)

Eddy Edson said:


> Maybe you can get Mr Eggy to construct a garden obstacle course for you, to keep things interesting.


We do that for the kids! Mr Eggy has lots of wood and bits and pieces lying around. Only problem is I’m terribly clumsy and have a tendency to fall over!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 27, 2020)

eggyg said:


> We do that for the kids! Mr Eggy has lots of wood and bits and pieces lying around. Only problem is I’m terribly clumsy and have a tendency to fall over!



It’ll be like the steeplechase, or Krypton Factor. I hope there’s a water jump!


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## eggyg (Apr 27, 2020)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> It’ll be like the steeplechase, or Krypton Factor. I hope there’s a water jump!


We’ve two ponds and two bird baths!


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## mikeyB (Apr 29, 2020)

Do you get any herons frog hunting around the ponds? Once happened to ours when we had a garden with a pond.


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## eggyg (Apr 30, 2020)

mikeyB said:


> Do you get any herons frog hunting around the ponds? Once happened to ours when we had a garden with a pond.


Only “ installed” ponds last year so haven’t any frogs yet, much to my disappointment. It’s all geared up for them, a log to crawl up, undergrowth and hidey holes. Many years ago a neighbour had a pond with fish and the heron would sit on our shed roof eyeing them up!


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## grovesy (Apr 30, 2020)

To get frogs in my garden I got frogspawn, from someone at work.


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## mikeyB (Apr 30, 2020)

And that will bring dragonflies to lay their eggs. Dragonfly larvae just love eating tadpoles.


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## grovesy (Apr 30, 2020)

Used to get frogs for a numbe of years after we filled the pond.


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