Hesitant to go to hospitals for non-coronavirus emergencies? When you should call 911
Coronavirus may be keeping patients who have unrelated emergencies away from hospitals, prompting doctors to urge people in serious need to call 911.
Seeking emergency help is still the best option for people who face life-threatening medical conditions, such as heart attack and stroke, the American Heart Association and other medical groups said this week in a news release.
“We felt the need to make this declaration to clear up what may become an alarming trend,” the doctors warned in the release.
The medical experts say it’s safe to go to hospitals, many of which are disinfecting to help stop the spread of the disease. People who avoid reaching out for help could end up dying, doctors warned in their news release.
Heart attack signs include discomfort in the chest and elsewhere in the body, health experts say. People who are having strokes may experience slurred speech, weak arms or a drooping face, according to the American Heart Association website.
Patient numbers fall
The message about calling 911 comes as emergency rooms are seeing fewer patients with serious medical issues, McClatchy News reported. That’s likely because people fear getting exposed to the virus at hospitals, experts say.
“The number of heart attacks and strokes are not necessarily declining,” so it’s likely that calls to emergency dispatchers have slowed during the pandemic, this week’s news release said.
Stayc Simpson, who has experienced heart failure, says she understands why people may be afraid, but she thinks those with heart attack symptoms should pick up the phone, CNN reported.
“If worst case scenario, at least EMS can tell you — yes this is a reason to go to the hospital or no it is not,” she told the news outlet.
Some health care professionals have expected hospitals to get more heart attack patients during the coronavirus outbreak, according to Stat News, a health website from Boston Globe Media.
That’s because stress and lack of exercise are among the risk factors for heart attacks, according to the news outlet. But other medical professionals point out that cleaner air and lower workloads could actually be pushing heart attack numbers down, according to Stat News.
To help stop the spread of COVID-19, health officials have recommended limiting in-person doctor’s appointments. Patients should consider postponing non-urgent procedures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Hesitant to go to hospitals for non-coronavirus emergencies? When you should call 911."
