Risks of Deferring Healthcare During a Pandemic

Afraid to go to the doctor or get your blood drawn because you might get exposed to COVID?  Two things I want you to consider:

  1.  Medical facilities can be some of the lowest risk places to visit during the pandemic due to strict sterilization, social distancing and mask wearing practices.  We cannot afford not to. 
  2. Delaying healthcare can have serious consequences in the future.
  • Nearly half of the public says they skipped or postponed medical care because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
  • Cardiologists have seen a resurgence in severe cardiac complications and damage during the pandemic that occur when a heart attack goes untreated.  These complications were common in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but we’ve not seen them in decades.
  • The National Cancer Institute predicts an excess of 10,000 deaths due to breast cancer and colorectal cancer because of missed screening in the year 2020.
  • You may get sicker with COVID-19 if your chronic medical problems (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure) are not well controlled.
  • Waiting to get care until you are really sick makes hospitalization more likely.  And right now hospital staff are stretched very thin, and your hospital care may suffer.
  • When COVID is finally under control, everyone who delayed care will return to their doctor, but they may have trouble getting an appointment because of pend up demand.