Covid-19 Post-Shielding Research: October 2023
This report explores how people formerly on Scotland’s Highest Risk List experienced shielding, how they’ve adapted since its end, and their views on current guidance. It highlights ongoing behaviours, areas of concern, and what support or information may help this group in the future.
2. Profile of those asked to shield
This chapter contains information about those who were asked to shield during the pandemic. This includes the breakdown of the survey sample, including those with any shielding experience and those who reported being on the HRL at the point it ended.
As already mentioned, there were roughly 185,000 individuals who were on the HRL, this accounts for approximately 3% of the Scottish population.
In total, 547 survey respondents identified as having been asked to shield at some point between March 2020 and May 2022. Throughout the report, these are referred to as those with any shielding experience (ASE).
2.1 Any shielding experience
Out of the people asked to shield during the pandemic, 39% were aged 65 or older, and 19% were between the ages of 55 and 64 (see Figure 2.1).
Base: ASE n=487
Those who were asked to shield were more likely to have a limiting physical condition (53%) than the prevalence reported in the total sample (22%).
The main reason people were included in the shielding program was because their doctor or GP thought it was necessary (37%) (see Figure 2.2). Other reasons included severe respiratory conditions like cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (27%), being on immunosuppression treatments that significantly increase the risk of infection (19%) and having cancer (11%). A small percentage of people advised to shield were those who had received solid organ transplants and were on long-term immunosuppression therapy (3%), as well as individuals with rare diseases or inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increased their risk of infections (2%).
Base: ASE n=406, DK removed
2.2 Highest Risk List (HRL) at the end
Two-fifths (41%) of those with any shielding experience reported that they remained on the Highest Risk List when it ended in May 2022 (Figure 2.3).
Base: ASE n=486
Almost half (46%) of those on the HRL when it ended were aged 65 or older. A fifth (21%) of those reporting being on the HRL when it ended are aged 55-64 years old and a further 13% are aged 45-54 years old. The remaining fifth (20%) was comprised of 18-44-year-olds (9% aged 18-34 and 11% aged 35-44).
The health conditions of those who reported being on the HRL when it ended were varied, 85% reported one health condition, 13% reported two health conditions and the remaining 2% reported three health conditions.
The three most commonly reported health conditions are chest or breathing conditions (41%), arthritis (38%) and heart, blood pressure or circulation (38%) the full breakdown can be seen in Figure 2.4.
Base: HRL n=197