Question reference: S5W-32920
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 30 October 2020 Registered interest
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to add new conditions to the shielding list as new evidence arises.
Answer
At the outset of the pandemic, the four Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) published a list of six groups where people would be considered to be at the highest clinical risk from COVID-19.
The initial approach was based on best evidence at the time. We are committed to following the evidence and we have refined the shielding criteria as new evidence emerges.
For this reason the 4 UK CMOs considered data from a new study recently published (QCOVID model - https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3731 ) and based on evidence agreed to include to the shielding list people aged 18 and over with Down’s Syndrome and patients with Chronic Kidney Disease stage 5.
Letters will be issued as soon as possible to those people affected to inform them that they will be added to the shielding list and to explain what it means for them.