COVID-19 fears keep millions of Americans from seeking hospital care

Visits to emergency departments dropped off dramatically in April across the U.S.

By Joe Carlson of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Excerpt:

"Millions of Americans are jeopardizing their health by avoiding hospital care, even in medical emergencies, for fear of contracting COVID-19.

Emergency room visits across the United States have dropped sharply since the pandemic took hold, even though doctors say patients are far less likely to catch the virus lying in a hospital bed than by shopping in a store.

April saw a 42% decline in emergency department (ED) use nationally. That amounts to 900,000 fewer visits per week compared to the same time period a year ago, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“That is just a stunning number that suggests a lot of people are not seeking care for things they should be seeking care for,” said Dr. John Hick, a state adviser on COVID-19 and an emergency medicine doctor at Hennepin Healthcare, where emergency visits were 43% lower than normal in April.

At Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, ED volumes sank to 86 patients per day in April, just over half the normal level. At Regions Hospital in St. Paul, emergency visits dropped 35% to 167 visits per day throughout March and early April. Allina Health saw a collective drop of nearly 50% in visits to its 13 emergency departments in the metro."