“So some people have been added to the list as a result of that.”
Although Professor Whitty didn’t clarify what medical conditions were added to the list, those affected will receive a letter advising them to implement shielding measures.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said it would be publishing updated shielding guidance later this week.
So far, the government body has written that the most vulnerable in society are:
1.Solid organ transplant recipients.
- People with specific cancers
2. People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
- people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
- 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
3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.
4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).
5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.
6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.
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