Fraud targeting parents of children in FSM
The DfE has warned that fraudsters are targeting parents of children eligible for free school means. Families have received an email requesting their bank details, claiming this will enable their children to continue receiving meals through school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. DfE issued a notice, urging parents to delete the scam email immediately.
Shielding advice for very high-risk groups
The Government has released new guidelines for people who are at higher risk of needing critical care if they catch coronavirus.
We strongly recommend you follow this guidance if you are in one of the high-risk groups.
We have had more specific guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care about who is in the high-risk groups. Based on this, our clinical leads have helped us to create the following list, which should help you work out if you are in the high-risk group or not. This list is the best information we have at the moment about who is at high risk. We will update it if we get any new information or if the guidance changes.
If you are in these groups, you will get a text message or a letter this week. If you haven’t heard anything by the 29th March, and you think you are in a high risk group, you should ask your GP to clarify.
If you are, or your child is, taking:
- Any biologic therapy, also called a mAb (Xolair/omalizumab, Nucala/mepolizumab, Cinqaero/reslizumab, Fasenra/benralizumab)
- Steroid tablets or liquid every day
- Antibiotic tablets or liquid for asthma every week (e.g. azithromycin)
- Tiotropium
- A combination inhaler that also contains a long-acting bronchodilator (e.g. Seretide, Fostair, Symbicort) at a high daily steroid dose (see this list)
- An inhaler with a high daily steroid dose (see this list) AND you are taking Montelukast
Or, if:
- You have been admitted to hospital for your asthma in the last 12 months
- You have ever been admitted to an intensive care unit for your asthma
Then you should follow the shielding advice, which means:
- Stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact with others for at least 12 weeks.
- Get food, medicines and other essential items delivered, and have the person delivering them leave them at the door. You can ask friends and neighbours to help with this, or use delivery services. If you can’t do this, public services and charities are gearing up to help people who have to stay at home. From Tuesday 24th March you may be able to register for extra services from Government.
- Use phone or online services to contact your GP or other services if needed.
- Inside your home, minimise all non-essential contact with other people you live with.
- People who provide essential support for you, such as healthcare or support with your daily needs or social care, can still come to your home. But if they have symptoms of COVID-19, they should not come. You should make a plan for how your care needs will be met if your carer becomes ill.
- If you get symptoms of COVID-19, which means a fever or a new continuous cough, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service or call 111 as soon as you get symptoms. Do not wait for your symptoms to get worse.
- If someone else lives with you, they do not have to follow the shielding guidance. They should follow the social distancing guidance very closely and do what they can to support you with shielding.
- There is more information for people who live with you in the government shielding guidance and we would strongly suggest you read it and apply it as much as you can.
We know that shielding is hard. But we believe it is the best way to protect people who could become very unwell if they get COVID-19.
Stay at home to stop the spread of coronavirus.