Don’t stay away from hospitals over Covid
The numbers presenting to UHGs Emergency Department with symptoms of heart disease have fallen by around 30% since the outbreak of Covid-19 – sparking fear that a significant number of people are not seeking help and putting their own lives at risk.
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at UHG, Prof Jim Crowley, said this was a very worrying trend as cardiovascular disease had not gone away, and the health system was facing the prospect of a surge of patients with advanced cardiac symptoms in the coming weeks and months.
And failure to present with early symptoms was resulting in missed opportunities for early intervention, he said.
“We think people are not coming into hospital because they are afraid they will contract coronavirus; they are afraid to leave the house in case they contract Covid-19. There is also an element that they don’t want to be bothering doctors.
“The worry is that there will be people sitting at home with symptoms of heart disease that could go on to have a major heart attack,” said Professor Crowley, who is President of the Irish Cardiac Society.
People who experience pains in their chest as a result of exercise; pains in their chest while at rest – particularly if it travels down their arm, but not necessarily; or major shortness of breath should be seeking medical advice, said Prof Crowley.
He suspected that patients were not presenting to their GPs for the same reasons they were avoiding hospital, but warned that mortality increases if people ignore symptoms.
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