Kidney Patient Guide

Just wondering after the last 2 year show everyone is doing?

I’m nearly 7 years post transplant. My family think I should carry on being very covid cautious. I watch the world around me getting on with life and want to do the same.

I hug my grown up children (despite one being an A&E nurse). I meet people out doors for walks and outdoor activity. I still do online shopping. I have my haircut. I meet people in a large club room but sit by open windows and try to keep a little distance between myself and others.

I don’t to pubs, restaurants, public transport, crowded places, cinemas, theatres.

I’m just a bit fed up. I think sympathy for those of us who are a bit vulnerable is going to wear off soon. I wondered what everyone else was doing.

Sue

My daughter who is about 3 years into a transplant, still wears a mask in shops etc.
We are in a care home now, and she does not come in as the care home is locked down due to Covid among residents.
Both my wife and I have had Covid, (while in the care home) my wife was in hospital for about 10 days, it took me about 3 weeks to shake it off, I felt like I was suffering with flue.

I assume you have had the letter, and a test kit, about priority early treatment as a vulnerable person, I am dialysing, and over 80.
I did not get the treatment as I was advised (by the dialysis unit) too late for the priority treatment to be used.

So I think Covid is a risk for everyone with a depressed immune system, and they ought to be taking this into account, so I would be inclined to think about what I have, rather than be thinking about what I cannot do.

Best wishes.

A little more. Mask in local shops, and taxis.
Cases are going up nationally, even tho they are coming down in the UK. The gov has continued to BADLY report stats (see ZOE studies site)
I've been to a few small meetings and even yoga class unmasked.
Not received any updates from hospital but going in for IV iron everyone is still wearing masks apart from me drinking a cuppa.

Church of England for instance are still requiring staff to take covid tests regularly. And I suspect some organisations are also continuing this.

I wear a mask in all shops, and a proper KN95 type mask.

But still go to cinemas, where i wear a mask if it's busy.

Pubs and restaurants. If i've booked a table, i look inside and ask for the one in the corner or furthest away from others. I then sit in the chair furthest from where people will be walking past. My friends are very good and recognise this and always let me choose my seat and they always go to the bar.

Twice over the last two years, i've walked into a crowded pub and said to my companion, sorry, gotta leave to go somewhere quieter.

I use public transport in London, always masked up. Buses and trains are ok outside peak hours. Tubes less so, either extreme end is best. If it's too busy, i wait for the next one.

Go to art galleries a lot, but of course, masked up.

So pretty normal, just gotta be a bit careful.

Oh, and not only am i immunocompromised, but have also had radiotherapy recently for prostate cancer, both these things make me "extremely vulnerable". I then have a genetic heart condition which would classify me as just "vulnerable"!!!

But even though my wife and daughter (living in the same house) got it at the same time a couple of weeks back, i am still, mercifully, free of Covid.

Chris

I'd say my social life is at about 10-15% of my pre-pandemic level. I mostly still socialise outside, and mask on public transport, in shops or in crowded/compact places. Still haven't been clubbing or into a pub, but I HAVE been to a couple of restaurants, and to a medium sized gig. I eschewed a Brixton Academy gig recently because it was just too big n scary.

Personally I can't continue to shield the way I was, for lots of reasons, even if I am still very far off my old ways. The vaccines really have made a huge difference. I'm nowhere near as afraid as I was two years ago, especially now we have treatments available. If I'm just at home all the time, not experiencing or learning or enjoying, what's the point of me being here at all? But I absolutely appreciate other people's mileage and thinking very much varies. And as I said, still not even approaching my old life.

Having said all that - I now have Covid. After two years of avoiding it so well, my husband caught it while having a pint in a busy pub after work one night and gave it to me!

My first positive test was on Sunday, sent in my priority PCR to confirm. Called 111 and had a monoclonal antibody infusion this afternoon. I feel fairly crappy, but I'm reasonably confident that with rest and hydration and the treatment I've now had that I'll be ok in a week or two *crosses fingers*

And I'll definitely be going out more for a couple of months once I'm recovered, as this is about as protected as I'll be for quite some time!