We would encourage you to watch @lara_wong 's inquiry evidence in full.
However, out amazing team have clipped these extracts for you!
1/
CVF's Survey
In the summer of 2025, CVF gathered in depth survey evidence about the impacts of the pandemic on CV households - which has now been shared multiple times to inquiry experts and others.
2/
People were commonly told that
"They should hurry up and die so that they could get their lives back."
3/
Unaddressed health risks
CVF member, Jaden was referred to a psychologist after his MacMillan counselling sessions ended when an unaddressed health risk had been psychologised as a mental health issue.
4/
Pandemic trauma
This has had a huge impact on people who continue to wear masks.
Moral injury of Healthcare workers knocked on to CV people.
5/
Story of an actress with Cancer
Where people were encouraged to return to work with Covid, this made workplaces unsafe for Clinically Vulnerable people.
6/
Post Freedom Day and Living with Covid
The lack of protective measures was exclusionary.
7/
People were either excluded from society, or, without information people were taking a risk.
8/
People at risk were increasingly excluded.
9/
The closure and reopening of places of worship - and how it impacted on CV people and those in CV households.
10/
Some people lost their faith as a consequence of the pandemic.
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The withdrawal of shielding
12/
The importance of data
13/
Healthcare became less accessible, particularly where people could not mask.
14/
How the quality of life for Clinically Vulnerable people was impacted.
15/
The serious financial impacts of unaddressed health risks.
16/
"Following the guidance"
17/
The impact of rules and guidance.
18/
If we gave people the tools and the skills to manage risks we could have been reducing transmission overall.
19/
Clinically Vulnerable people were stigmatised.
Personal responsibility is something we never could have taken when it is an airborne virus.
20/
High population density places, with high risk populations were at increased risk.
21/
Domestic abuse refuges were unable to meet social distancing guidance.
22/
People experiencing domestic abuse who were also Clinically Vulnerable faced extreme risk and, for some, near total isolation.
22/
CVF's list of recommendations include...
23/
Our top 3 asks:
1. Safety:
Individuals can't be expected to manage ventilation. Understanding about how people can manage their own risks.
2. Status:
Clinically Vulnerable people's intrinsic risks exist outside of pandemics, it is not purely a pandemic related issue.
24/
3. The right to wear a mask
CVF believes that everyone should have the right to wear a mask, and that people should not be challenged for doing so.
25/
Questions from @RubyPeacock19 representing @The_TUC:
Regarding the potential benefits of the Welsh Covid-19 Workforce Risk Assessment Tool (to be considered across the UK).
26/
@RubyPeacock19 @The_TUC "When it is safe enough for the most vulnerable, it is safe enough for everyone.'
* Clean indoor air must be a priority *
27/
@RubyPeacock19 @The_TUC The benefits of air filters to reduce risks to reduce the cliff edge and how to wear a better mask.
Plus, our thanks to the @covidinquiryuk for making the one of the safest rooms the country that you can be in! πππ¨
28/ END
The full witness evidence is here:
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UK COVID INQUIRY - CVFπππ
@AdamWagner1 Closing Submissions
The Covid Inquiry has good ventilation protocols (as advised by CVF at the start of the Inquiry) including HEPA filters.
Under 1000ppm is therefore the safe threshold ( but without it would be under 800ppm).
1/
We need to understand airborne transmission in order to make all indoor environments safer for everyone, and especially for Clinically Vulnerable people.
2/
The need for Clinically Vulnerable people to have:
CVF were concerned that many older people, who were at high risk, were not supported to shield - which included advice on how to stay safe, as well as food deliveries and community outreach.
π¨ NEW DfE GUIDANCE
- VENTILATION & AIR QUALITY -
Clean air matters - especially for #ClinicallyVulnerable children, staff and families. This is an important recognition that airborne transmission is preventable.
1/
But the proposed COβ thresholds are too high. 800ppm should be the upper limit - not 1500ppm. By 1500ppm, air is already significantly rebreathed. Thatβs not a precautionary standard for children, let alone those at higher risk.
If weβve learned anything from the pandemic, itβs that minimum compliance is not the same as safety. #ClinicallyVulnerable pupils cannot βchooseβ lower exposure if the baseline standard is poor.
3/
π¨ Profs Herrick & @Azeem_Majeed on clinical vulnerability
We are grateful that data collected by CVF (last year) was used by @covidinquiryuk to highlight some of the ongoing impacts faced by Clinically Vulnerable people.
1/
You can have a sneak (advanced) peak at @lara_wong's witness statement on behalf of Clinically Vulnerable Families...
Many and varied consequences (relating to mental health) were identified. 2/
Long term mental health impacts persist to this day.
β οΈβ οΈβ οΈ
Don't scroll past without π + β»οΈ... π
πππ
- Can you help us to help you?
If you value our work at the Cβvid Inquiry and beyond, your continued support is vital.
1/
It is hard to explain how much effort has gone in over the past few years to raise understanding and awareness of issues amplified the emerge of Cβvid.
2/
We have participated in NICE as stakeholders and the inquiry as Core Participants (as the only group representing Clinically Vulnerable people).
ππ We have collected evidence as data and thousands of π¬ impact statements from people.
Their response dodges the point.
Because the problem really wasnβt that βI didnβt get the jokeβ.
The problem is who the joke is aimed at and what it encourages most people to laugh at.
2/
If the punchline is βPPE / precautions = anxious / ridiculousβ then people who still need precautions (Clinically Vulnerable people) are the collateral damage.
So it is not about βoffenceβ but creating stigma.