Table of contents

  1. Using this guide
  2. Clinically extremely vulnerable
  3. Coronavirus and COVID-19
  4. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  5. Deaths and COVID-19
  6. Furlough
  7. Local lockdowns and restrictions
  8. Lockdown
  9. Long COVID
  10. New variants of the coronavirus
  11. NHS Test and Trace
  12. Outbreak or pandemic
  13. Pre-coronavirus and pre-lockdown
  14. Quarantine
  15. R number
  16. Self Employment Income Support Scheme Grants
  17. Self-isolation
  18. Shielding
  19. Social distancing
  20. Spread
  21. Support bubble
  22. Vaccines and vaccinations 
  23. Waves

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Clinically extremely vulnerable

Clinically extremely vulnerable refers to people who are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19.  

These people have been told directly by their GP or hospital that they are “clinically extremely vulnerable”.  

They are classified separately because they were asked to follow specific guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people. For certain periods of time, this included advice to “shield”.  

Use “people who are clinically extremely vulnerable”, with the whole term in lower case, including the link to the NHS website.  

Only use “people at high risk” where needed and alongside “clinically extremely vulnerable”.  

Do not use “clinically vulnerable people” when you mean clinically extremely vulnerable; this term relates to a different set of people. 

You can find more information about the definition of “clinically extremely vulnerable” in our Coronavirus and clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people in England bulletin.