People experiencing cardiovascular emergencies seem to be avoiding hospital emergency rooms due to fears of COVID-19, putting their health at risk, according to a new report.
Data compiled by Heart and Stroke and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society found that visits to Ontario emergency departments for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarctions (STEMI) — a very serious type of heart attack — fell by nearly 30 per cent in the period between March 16 and April 12, compared to the same period a year earlier.
Similar numbers from Vancouver Coastal Health show a 40 per cent drop in STEMI patients over the same time last year. “This last weekend was a good example,” said Dr.