Lockdown: 4 years on

27 March 2024

^{Representatives delivering the letter to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.}

March 2024 marks 4 years since the UK first went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst for many the threat of COVID-19 has subsided, many immunocompromised individuals still fear the consequences. NRAS together with 15 other charities signed a group letter to the Prime Minister for further support.

It is estimated that there are around 2.7 million people who have a weakened immune system or are considered to have a continued clinical risk for COVID-19. Many of these individuals continue to adhere to guidelines to reduce their risk of developing severe COVID-19.

The impact on immunocompromised people has been significant during the last 4 years with many continuing to live restricted lives, having to make changes to their employment and this impacts their mental health.

NRAS alongside 15 other health charities have taken the anniversary of the first lockdown in March 2020 as an opportunity to write a letter to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to express our ongoing concern about the impact that COVID-19 has on immunocompromised people.

For a detailed look at the letter sent, please click below:

The letter calls for the government to ensure that new pre-exposure treatment medications (medication which is designed to block a virus from attaching and entering cells) are treated as a priority and if approved for use in the NHS, that the NHS should plan for the rapid implementation of the medicines.