New data analyzed by Heart & Stroke and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society suggests fewer people in Canada are seeking care for serious heart attacks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
New data suggests fewer people in Canada are seeking care for serious heart attacks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Heart & Stroke and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society analyzed data from Ontario cardiac centres and found an unusually low number of people turning up at the hospital with the most serious type of heart attack, known as a STEMI.
They found a nearly 30 per cent drop in emergency department visits between March 16 and April 12 compared to the same period last year. Vancouver Coastal Health saw an approximately 40 per cent drop in STEMI patients during a similar time period.
Researchers say it’s unlikely the number of serious heart attacks has suddenly plummeted. They worry heart patients are at risk of greater disability or death because they may be avoiding care for fear of being exposed to COVID-19.
WA