Weird Epidemiological Science

Originally published in the Sacramento Bee and echoed here at msn.com, a finding by Kaiser Permanente that during the Covid-19 outbreak, fewer than normal people have been showing up at emergency rooms with cardiac symptoms.

The rate of hospitalization for heart attacks was nearly cut in half, falling by 48% from the beginning of January until mid-April. The study used data from Kaiser Permanente’s 21 medical centers in Northern California and the Central Valley and measured the rate weekly.

There was no significant decrease in trauma cases either and only a moderate decline in the number of strokes in April.

“We’re trying to protect people from COVID-19, but because of the fear that people aren’t utilizing 911 and they’re avoiding symptoms that they have and should be seeking medical attention for,” Weivoda said.

Early in the epidemic I remember writing that it would take something serious like a heart attack, stroke or serious injury for me to go to a hospital during the pandemic. Are people so afraid of hospitals as places to catch Covid-19 that they’re ignoring cardiac problems? Bizarre, if true.