‘Lockdown never ended’ for thousands of Bristolians

More than 2,400 Bristol residents could still be living in lockdown, based on data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

At the start of the pandemic, four per cent of people in England were asked to shield and as of May 2022, thirteen per cent of them were still shielding.

Shielders, as they are called, have usually been unable to develop antibodies from vaccination and so a Covid-19 case would likely kill them.

These 2,400 Bristolians are further frustrated by the fact that there is a way out: Evusheld. The antibody drug has been licensed in the UK since March but it is not being procured by the NHS, despite more than 32 countries buying stocks.

The six-monthly injection contains two antibodies which reduce the risk of symptomatic Covid-19 by 77 per cent.

Lucy Huntly and her family have not stopped shielding since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 – photo: Lucy Huntly

Lucy Huntly, a Bristol resident with lupus which means Covid-19 vaccines have been ineffective, has been shielding since a week before the initial lockdown in March 2020.

She said: “It feels like your life is considered of no value and you have to continually fight to prove it is. This is exhausting.

“The impact on those you love is for me the hardest thing. My husband has worked from home except when he really can’t – and then he is isolated from me in a caravan. Our three children have been homeschooling much of the time. The kids can’t go into their friends’ houses or have friends here.

“I’ve had to keep reminding them the impact on their mental health would be worse if I died – but it’s so tough knowing they’re missing out.”

Lucy was overjoyed when she first heard Evusheld was approved for use, but her hopes were dashed when the Government started dragging their feet.

“For me and my family, Evusheld would enable us to have some semblance of normality,” said Lucy.

“The kids could see friends indoors, go to places with friends, and not wear a mask every day at school unless cases were really high. My husband could out go to work without having to isolate afterwards.”

Approximately 500,000 people are still shielding in the UK – photo: Evusheld4TheUK

Mary Jones* was categorised as severely immunocompromised during the pandemic. The 74-year-old is married with four children and nine grandchildren – but has been unable to see them since March 2020. Mary started shielding as soon as she was advised to and continues to.

She said: “I do wear a mask when outside my home and I was once sworn at for doing so just after [Boris] Johnson announced ‘freedom day’. I was very upset by this as freedom day was no such thing for me and in fact presented me with a much higher risk of infection.”

Prior to Covid-19, Mary enjoyed overseas travel and socialising with friends but this has all stopped now.

“I have had chronic leukaemia for 15 plus years, which hasn’t limited my life in any way for 13 of those years,”  she continued.  “I would much prefer to be able to see my grandchildren after all this time than be kept away.  It’s sad to be shut out of their lives as they grow up.”

Mary’s experience of the pandemic is that of many disabled people. As of March 2022, the ONS still states there is “significantly greater risk of death for all disabled people compared with non-disabled people.” From January 2020 to February 2021, 58 per cent of deaths due to Covid-19, were disabled people.

Mary feels that severely immunocompromised people have been abandoned and prevented from getting treatment proven to help, such as Evusheld. This has also meant that treatment for her leukaemia has become obsolete.

She says: “I feel angry about this especially as my treatment cost the NHS tens of thousands of pounds and will only last for a limited amount of time.

“I really do hope we get Evusheld so I can see my grandchildren before they are adult and pick up the threads of my previous life.”

Jennifer hasn’t hugged her husband since March 2020 – photo: Jennifer

Mary’s experience is mirrored by Jennifer, from Bath, who says: “lockdown never ended”.

Jennifer has various health conditions including thyrotoxicosis and Sjogren’s syndrome which make her unable to take mitigating medicines. She has had four vaccinations but developed no antibodies.

She says: “I’ve been in total solitary isolation and shielding since March 6 2020. If I got Covid-19, it would very likely kill me.”

“I haven’t been able to hug my husband since 2020 or be in the house together. We speak with him sitting in the street in front of the front door, masked. My hope for a somewhat normal life rests on Evusheld.”

For shielders who have been in isolation for nearly three years, there is a possible end in sight. The NICE appraisal for Evusheld will be finished in April 2023 and the Government has stated it will not buy it or make it available until that process is complete.

The campaign, Evusheld for the UK, an organisation made up of immunocompromised people, their families and experts, encourages people to write to their MPs and speak to their GPs about their support for Evusheld, their current campaign is Forgotten 500k.

Until it, or a similar treatment, is approved, 2,400 Bristolians and around 500,000 people across the UK will continue to live in lockdown with no end in sight.

*Not her real name  

Caitlin Quinn is reporting on n Kingswood, deaf and disabled communities as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media. 

Main photo: Lucy Huntly

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