Targeted Shielding and Coronavirus Symptoms Among Adults in the UK

Background: In the UK, in March 2020, those at high risk for adverse outcomes following coronavirus disease (COVID-19), identified as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, were sent a notification to shield themselves for 12 weeks. This study examines the effect of this targeted shielding on reporting of coronavirus symptoms and testing positive, common mental disorder and loneliness. Methods: Data from 13,750 adult participants (aged 16+), who participated each month from April to July 2020 in the COVID-19 surveys of Understanding Society (UKHLS), were used to examine the association of receipt of a shielding communication with coronavirus symptoms reporting or a positive test, common mental disorder, loneliness. Findings: The prevalence of coronavirus symptom reporting or testing positive was around 4.2% (95% CI: 1.4%-7.2%) lower among individuals living in households that received a shielding letter compared to those in households which did not. This difference was 10.7% (95% CI: 3.1%-18.2%) among individuals in the highest COVID-19 risk group. Poor mental health was associated with the receipt of a shielding letter, but was accounted for by COVID-19 risk level. Similar patterns were apparent for loneliness. Interpretation: In the context of the lockdown when the general population was staying at home, the shielding policy further reduced the risk of coronavirus symptoms and infections.