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  • 3 months ago
Panorama 2020 E13
Transcript
00:00Tonight on Panorama, how are the most at risk coping with the killer epidemic?
00:10They might die, I might die, and we'll never say goodbye.
00:17The desperately ill, who are no longer getting the help they need.
00:22I feel that potentially having this treatment taken away is stealing some time.
00:27I haven't got a lot.
00:30And those not able to lock down and stay safe.
00:34The homeless people are scared enough when it's normal.
00:37My money's a virus about.
00:40Where were the people offering support?
00:43Are you getting money in or do you need some emergency funds?
00:46I just tried to ask for universal credit.
00:54And with those dealing with this new threat.
00:58I got told by my GP that you do realise that if you get this bug, it will kill you.
01:14I'm back.
01:18Ted is four years old.
01:20He has cystic fibrosis.
01:24If he gets coronavirus, it could be very serious.
01:29Deep breath.
01:33Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition.
01:37It affects all the vital organs, mainly the lungs and the digestive system.
01:43It means I'm special.
01:46There are many, many more people like Ted who've been told that they are vulnerable.
01:52The government says there are a million and a half people in the UK
01:56who need to take extra precaution.
02:00Please have your crayon, darling.
02:04We gave them a camera to film what life is like inside their home.
02:12It's a fortnight since it was announced they must stay at home for three months.
02:20The government called it shielding.
02:23Fiona got the news in a text.
02:26Even though I knew it was coming, it was still the realisation that he is a vulnerable person.
02:36Because COVID-19 can affect the lungs and breathing, Ted is vulnerable.
02:42It's vital he doesn't leave home or be with anyone other than his mum.
02:47It could very, very easily be life-threatening for someone like Ted.
02:53As a mother, it makes you feel like there's not a lot you can do, really.
03:02I worry about not being able to get him to hospital appointments that are coming up.
03:09He knows there's a virus, he knows it's bad, he knows we need to get rid of it
03:13before he can go out again.
03:15But it's a difficult thing for a child to understand at his age.
03:20Why is it bad?
03:21Because it catches on to people.
03:24And what have we got to do?
03:26Stay away from people.
03:32The family lives in rural Cheshire.
03:35Ted's dad is still working and needs to be out to get food and medicine.
03:40So this is your home?
03:42Yeah, it is.
03:43So he has moved out of the house,
03:46away from his family to a caravan at the end of the garden.
03:51I take comfort from the fact that he's pretty much locked up,
03:53so he's safe enough.
03:55I suppose the most difficult bit is not knowing how the future will pan out,
04:00I suppose, the uncertainty.
04:03What about 12 weeks of this, though?
04:04So you'll be like a week in now, won't you, I think?
04:07Yeah, personally, I think that it'll be quite a bit longer.
04:10For Ted, for us, anyway.
04:14Just because it's...
04:16Because it is so contagious, I don't think that it'll be safe for Ted,
04:20really, to go out until there's an effective vaccine,
04:24which is, you know, I think we'll be quite a while off that.
04:37I'm heading north to Manchester.
04:41Nationally, the 1.5 million vulnerable people
04:45were told by the government they would be supported.
04:48You're not alone was the message.
04:50So how's that working out?
04:55I've been told by the government, stay in the house,
04:57do not go out of the house or my garden,
05:00um, for 12 weeks.
05:05Paula has complex medical needs
05:08and has used a wheelchair for the last 28 years.
05:13I've got a few things going wrong.
05:15Primarily, I've got primary immune deficiency,
05:18which means my body doesn't really make antibodies to bugs that well,
05:22so I'm really susceptible to a lot of infections.
05:24I've also got heart failure.
05:27And I'm diabetic.
05:30Her life has not been defined by her disabilities.
05:33She's danced for her country.
05:35I've competed at an international level.
05:37You know, I've just competed in the World...
05:39Well, six months ago, I competed in the World Championships in Poland.
05:43So I'm not ready to be written off yet.
05:49And even made an appearance on Britain's Got Talent.
05:54You've got four yeses, congratulations.
05:56CHEERING
06:02It's Bob-Obs.
06:04She relies on carers, as well as her assistance dog, Indy.
06:08Good girl!
06:11Indy's OK, she's happy, but she's having a nap now,
06:15and then she'll give me a hand to take the rest of my clothes off
06:17before I go to bed.
06:18She loves doing that, and usually my socks end up everywhere
06:21because she likes throwing them around afterwards.
06:24Government food parcels arrived this morning.
06:27Those identified as the most vulnerable
06:29are among those who can apply for a free food box.
06:34It says, Bio Food Shield Package.
06:38My lowest moment so far was the moment I realised the true reality
06:44of being in the at-risk group.
06:45The first hint about how bad it was going to get,
06:48was when I got told by my GP that,
06:51you do realise that if you get this book, it will kill you.
06:55There wasn't any...
06:57..if, buts or maybe...
07:00..this will kill you if you get it.
07:01Paula receives two visits from carers a day.
07:05They help her with meals and cleaning.
07:07She also gets help from a district nurse with her medication.
07:12So, you can see there's some syringes left out there for later.
07:16One of the medicines that have to take a little while.
07:21As coronavirus spreads across the UK,
07:24it's had a knock-on effect with her visits.
07:28It's nearly seven o'clock.
07:30It's Saturday.
07:32My care call's normally between half five, six o'clock.
07:37And my blood sugar's getting low.
07:39And it scares me that this might be the future,
07:41that actually we're not going to know when care centres turn up.
07:49It's tea time now.
07:50And they're making me tea.
07:54One lady's helping with pots.
07:56And then it's time to put more cream on, do meds and get ready for bed.
08:06Across the country, an army of carers continues to support
08:10hundreds of thousands of people.
08:12But it's getting harder.
08:16Dan is a carer in Hebden Bridge.
08:19I always take precautions, but I'm taking a lot more precautions
08:22than I usually would.
08:23This precaution is so that I don't pick anything up in the community
08:27on my way to see my client,
08:28because my clients, by and large, are quite vulnerable.
08:39Hello, Heather.
08:41Please excuse the mask.
08:43Yes.
08:44The first thing I'm going to do, though, is I'm going to put on my mask.
08:48I'm going to put on my mask and then I'm going to put on my mask.
08:51I'm going to put on my mask and then I'm going to put on my mask.
08:53I'm going to just wash my hands and take this mask off, OK?
08:58He's come to help 91-year-old Heather and has filmed it for us.
09:02No visitors are allowed.
09:04Her carers are the only people she still sees.
09:08How has this crisis changed your life?
09:13Oh, dramatically.
09:15Really? Yeah.
09:18Because I don't ever see any of the family now.
09:22I think everybody's going to have a really big hug when this is over as well.
09:25I think so. Absolutely.
09:28It's awful, isn't it? Yeah.
09:30Shall we do a bit of walking? Yes, I think that's a good idea.
09:35Social distancing can be almost impossible for carers.
09:40I'll just move back so that you've got...
09:43So we can keep the distance from each other. OK.
09:46Obviously, some clients require a bit more personal care, so...
09:51You have to get quite close to them.
09:53And there's just no getting around it, but...
09:57With Heather, I'm able to stay two metres away from her, which is good.
10:02All right, it was lovely to see you again.
10:04And lovely to see you.
10:06And I've enjoyed your company.
10:09A real person to talk to.
10:12Take care. Yes, and you too.
10:15I'll see you Friday. Yes.
10:17Carers visit a lot of people.
10:20Dan says there needs to be testing for the virus.
10:24I was isolated last week with a sore throat.
10:27I didn't develop the symptoms.
10:29The guidelines out there are very vague, they're not mass testing.
10:33So, you know, for all I know,
10:36I could be like an asymptomatic super spreader.
10:39I just don't know.
10:41I'm not 100% confident that I'm safe or that any carers are safe.
10:51And Paula worries about what happens if she or her carers become ill.
10:58What if the carers can't come in?
11:00Because if the carers don't come in, I can't get up.
11:02I can't get my catheter bag emptied.
11:04I've got one friend who can do my medication and that,
11:08but he can't do my bowel care and my bladder care.
11:11He can't change a catheter.
11:21Some of the most vulnerable are those who don't have homes at all.
11:27What's it like being on the streets during coronavirus?
11:29Terrible, absolutely terrible. The streets are deserted.
11:32And then when I'm finding somewhere to get me out after night,
11:35I'm getting told to move.
11:37England has about 4,000 rough sleepers.
11:41With such a basic existence, it's hard to keep safe or isolated.
11:46So, it's really weird in Manchester because there's the odd car,
11:50but it's mostly just clear.
11:52The only people that are left here, it feels like, are the homeless,
11:57and this charity is looking after them.
12:01So, thank you so much for all coming in today as volunteers
12:04because our organisation is pretty much shut down
12:07because we can't do the services we were doing before.
12:10This is the carers' centre.
12:13This is the mustard tree.
12:15In the last fortnight, they've had to reinvent what they do.
12:20They've stopped offering training and the cafe has shut.
12:23Now it's about helping the homeless and the vulnerable trapped in isolation.
12:29I think it was much more than 1.5 million that are vulnerable.
12:32I would suggest people that, you know, have no money are vulnerable.
12:35I would suggest people that are living in, you know,
12:38awful accommodation are really vulnerable.
12:41We've got our two big orders coming in at four o'clock
12:43from the council in Northwoods, so we're geared up for that, boys.
12:49George is one of the drivers delivering food and essentials.
12:54General people are really happy to see us when we're dropping these off,
12:57but we're also seeing some, you know, real people who are just down
13:00and desperate and don't know what else to do, which is hard.
13:05The first person George delivers to is Jason,
13:08who until recently was living on the streets.
13:12He's now been taken in by a friend.
13:15The homeless people are scared enough when it's normal,
13:18and that rhyming is a virus about.
13:20You used to be able to go for something to eat,
13:22but the food banks have been shut.
13:24The poor people are scared enough when it's normal,
13:27and that rhyming is a virus about.
13:29You used to be able to go for something to eat,
13:31but the food banks have been shut.
13:33The people who used to come round with trolleys at night, night teams,
13:36and they'd give out clothing and food, they can't come out
13:39because they're not allowed...
13:41They're not classed as essential key workers,
13:43but they're doing a key service, they're feeding people.
13:47The only people that are out about in Manchester
13:50is the key workers, not just the nurses and that.
13:54The ones that take the low-paid jobs, like the cleaners and stuff,
13:57and they're the ones that are out, and they're the ones that are giving money
14:00and they can't really afford it.
14:04MUSIC PLAYS
14:08George's next stop is at the top of this tower block.
14:19Hello, it's the mustard tree.
14:21There you go, sir.
14:23My vision is completely gone.
14:25I can't see nothing at all, totally blind.
14:27Yeah, it's frightening for a blind person to go out.
14:30Yeah, I can't go out anywhere.
14:32I can't go to the Blind Society.
14:36Yeah, I can't go to the mustard tree, I can't go anywhere.
14:39The power of this coronavirus is freaking me out.
14:42And I don't want to catch the coronavirus.
14:45I just want to, you know, let people know out there
14:48what it feels like when you're in a high-rise block of flats.
14:52You know, we floor walls.
14:54You know, all right people live, you know, houses, right?
14:59They think it's all right, but it's not for a blind person.
15:08Some of the most at risk are those who have existing health conditions.
15:19When Ezra was born, I guess that's kind of the happiest day of your life.
15:25Myself and Danielle, we're a young family.
15:28Everything was absolutely brilliant.
15:32Nick was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer a year ago.
15:36He's self-isolating with his wife, Danielle, and two-year-old son, Ezra.
15:43Obviously, we can't go in the house, nobody can,
15:46so we've agreed to talk to Nick through an open window.
15:50The diagnosis was something that came out of the blue.
15:53There were no telltale signs for it.
15:55The cancer is too far progressed.
15:57And certainly the last conversation that I had with my oncologist,
16:01he spoke in months.
16:03He spoke between 21 and 36 months.
16:09That was probably about four or so months into my treatment.
16:15So to do the maths, I guess not long.
16:23It's the kind of...the reality of it.
16:30Nick's cancer treatment has been cut back because of the crisis.
16:34He's been told that continuing his chemotherapy
16:38would put him more at risk of the virus,
16:41so it's been stopped for the next three months.
16:44You're gambling on not having chemotherapy
16:48and being safer from coronavirus or having chemotherapy
16:52but then being much more at risk of coronavirus.
16:55I can only guess that it's going to mean a shorter life.
17:04I'm not ready yet.
17:08And I feel that, you know, potentially having this treatment taken away...
17:14..is stealing some time. I haven't got a lot.
17:22I've got a son to raise and you have plans for life.
17:26I've kind of come to terms with the fact that
17:29I wasn't going to get the life that I wanted,
17:32but I knew potentially what I was going to get.
17:36And now there's a lot of uncertainty around that
17:42and it's hard.
17:48We're really lucky we're together.
17:50You know, we are on lockdown together,
17:52so we have got each other as a family.
17:55But we can't see our family and friends.
17:58You know, there's literally just the three of us in the house.
18:03Nick, so far, hasn't been told he's among the 1.5 million most vulnerable.
18:11So me and Ezra have just watched the government broadcast
18:14on the news this evening and you can see what Ez thought of it all.
18:19They spoke about the 1.5 million vulnerable people
18:23and how they've sent letters out or texts out to one million of those.
18:29I guess I must be in the 500,000 because I still haven't
18:32actually received anything from the government as yet.
18:37So for them, practicalities like food and shopping are proving tough.
18:42At the moment, we're really struggling to get food deliveries.
18:46All the websites are either down or you can only log on
18:50if you're classed as vulnerable.
18:52My friend tried to get, this sounds ridiculous,
18:55tried to get us a loaf of bread the other day
18:57and she was told she couldn't have two loaves of bread.
19:00She could only have one loaf of bread.
19:02Things are, you know, there's measures in place
19:05to stop people from panic buying.
19:08How are you coping with all this?
19:12Um, I'm just putting it to the back of my mind,
19:16trying to, as much as I can, to stay as positive as I can
19:21for Nick and Ezra and not think too much about it
19:25because I'll, yeah, I don't want to cry.
19:30Nick's frustration led him to try to register as vulnerable online,
19:35but that left him more confused.
19:38I don't know whether you'd call it miscommunication
19:41or for whatever reason, maybe we are not deemed as extremely vulnerable
19:46by the NHS and by the government, which is baffling,
19:51but it is what it is.
19:54The government has told Panorama
19:57people should speak to their doctor.
20:00Nick also worries about what would happen if he went into hospital.
20:05Recently published ethical guidance suggests he might be low priority.
20:11In the worst-case scenario that I was to become infected,
20:14there's a shortage of ventilators.
20:16I'm probably going to be at the back of the queue
20:19knowing that this guy's not got much longer anyway,
20:22so all of that fear...
20:29..I can drive myself to distraction if I overthink it.
20:40Back at the mustard tree,
20:42Jo is contacting people who've got in touch to ask for help.
20:46Are you just staying in?
20:49Yeah, I'm just staying in, taking my diabetes tablets,
20:54and, you know, at the moment, it's very hard,
20:57no working and no money.
21:00Do you need some emergency funds?
21:02I just tried to ask for universal...
21:06Universal credit.
21:08..but for one week now, it's not coming in.
21:11I need food for the children.
21:13It's very important for me and myself.
21:16At the moment, it's just hard with money.
21:20If they can't offer help,
21:22they'll try and point callers in the right direction.
21:26And you're having to go to the chemist, are you?
21:28Can they not deliver it? Can they not deliver it for you?
21:30Why?
21:33Right, so it's on methadone as well?
21:35Yeah.
21:36I think at the moment,
21:38we're in absolutely unprecedented times, aren't we?
21:41So we're all winging it, aren't we?
21:43We're all making it up as we go along
21:45and for us, we just take it a person at a time, really,
21:47and then just, you know, try and speak to them like you would your family
21:50and then try and sort it out.
21:53One issue is heard time and again.
21:56The loneliness of self-isolation.
22:02Yeah, we are, we are well.
22:04My son is a little bit...
22:07..tired.
22:09Yeah. How old is he?
22:11Seven.
22:12Seven? Oh, so he's still a baby, isn't he?
22:14Still a baby.
22:15How are you doing yourself, then? Are you worried about it?
22:17Or have you got people to talk to?
22:19No.
22:20Yeah.
22:21I keep my mind in other things,
22:23because, obviously, I don't have anyone to talk to,
22:25nor any others.
22:27It's just a difficult period, you know?
22:29I know.
22:30We're trying...
22:31I know.
22:32..to keep the mind in other things.
22:34I know.
22:36How much are you hearing about loneliness?
22:38All of it. All of it's loneliness.
22:40Most people will have low mood or loneliness that we're dealing with.
22:43So, I've got a gentleman downstairs
22:45that absolutely needs to self-isolate,
22:47and he's coming here every day just to see us and to say hello.
22:51So, it's how do you balance that,
22:53because we don't want to encourage him to come,
22:55but at the same time, he's very vulnerable.
22:57It's really stressful, because those services are needed more
23:00rather than ever, but because of Covid, you can't do it face-to-face.
23:13Hi, Jim. How are you?
23:16Jim was a regular visitor to the mustard tree,
23:19but now he's in lockdown in this block of flats for the elderly.
23:24He's 90, has cancer and is living alone.
23:27You two, how are you?
23:29How do you feel, then, at 90, with Covid-19, with this virus about?
23:35I'm very alarmed.
23:39Very bewildered.
23:42I'm very concerned.
23:44I was 10 when the war broke out.
23:48And it was, in a way, very similar, except we weren't separated.
23:53But, you know...
23:55That's how it feels. It feels like the war.
23:59Well, I call it a German warfare.
24:01It's heartbreaking,
24:03because I've got friends in this building that I love very much,
24:08particularly one.
24:10We're a very close friend.
24:12Well, not very much.
24:16Excuse me.
24:22Is it because you can't see these people now?
24:25Yeah. It's very hard. Yeah.
24:27And, well, it might be forever,
24:30because they might die, I might die,
24:34and we'll never say goodbye.
24:36How are you finding that loneliness?
24:39I don't like the loneliness.
24:42No, I'm not used to that yet.
24:45No, it's very, very difficult. Yeah.
24:53These are difficult days for us all.
24:56But the most at risk are facing their own battles
24:59as they wait in isolation.
25:05People I miss are my friends.
25:07I call my friends, you know, family.
25:09Manchester family.
25:11Because we are like family.
25:13And I miss them.
25:15When we've got to the three months apart,
25:18well, the 12 weeks...
25:22..there could still be the virus around.
25:25That is actually probably as hard to get my head round,
25:30is the fact that this social distancing thing
25:33might last quite a while for me.
25:38How are you dealing with all this?
25:40Everything we talk about, it's just one big thing after another.
25:44How are you getting through?
25:47My concern with this challenge is...
25:52..is it a bridge too far?
25:54You know, we hope not, but we...
25:56It's just hard to...
25:58..hard to start thinking about getting back to normality.
26:03It's difficult being cooped up indoors.
26:06Last night, I did lose my temper a little bit with Ezra.
26:10And that's something that I hate doing,
26:13because if Ez is going to have any memories of me,
26:17I don't want him to be that way out.
26:20So...
26:22..it's hard, but we're pulling together and we're getting through.
26:34Daddy bought you that. Do you like it?
26:36Yeah.
26:38Ted has never had a birthday like this before.
26:41He's five today,
26:43and celebrating at a distance from his dad and sister,
26:47through the kitchen window.
26:50HE CHUCKLES
26:51ALL SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY
26:54ALL SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY
26:57Hey, Ben! Hello!
26:58Hey!
26:59ALL SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY
27:02Hip, hip! Hooray!
27:03Hip, hip! Hooray!
27:05Hip, hip! Hooray!
27:08Blow me a kiss.
27:10HE GASPS
27:11I got it! Can I blow you one?
27:15Right, we need to go take them out to Daddy.
27:19Put it on the floor.
27:24Eat the icing, then.
27:29Yeah!
27:30Never in a million years did we ever think
27:32we'd be in a situation like this.
27:35Are you frightened by what's going on?
27:38I'm terrified.
27:41It doesn't even bear thinking about,
27:43at five years old, if he had to go into hospital
27:46and he couldn't have all of his family around him to support him,
27:51it's a really, really frightening thought.
28:00The Government has committed to helping the vulnerable,
28:04but some still feel alone.
28:07As the virus spreads, are we all doing enough
28:10to look after those most at risk?
28:30To find out more, visit www.cdc.gov.uk
28:34To find out more, visit www.cdc.gov.uk
28:38To find out more, visit www.cdc.gov.uk
28:42To find out more, visit www.cdc.gov.uk