Covid: No evidence shielding helped vulnerable people, Swansea University study says

There is no evidence that shielding benefitted vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a university study. The study by Swansea University compared 117,000 people shielding in Wales with the population of three million.

It found that deaths and healthcare usage were higher among those who were shielding than the general population. The Welsh Government said that shielding was introduced on medical and scientific advice and that it will continue to review evidence from the pandemic.

The rate of coronavirus was also found to be higher among those shielding, at 5.9% compared to 5.7%, according to the study. Researchers have said that the data raises questions about whether the shielding policy worked.