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Fewer Canadians seeking necessary treatments for heart attacks, strokes during pandemic

Last Updated Feb 24, 2021 at 6:38 pm MDT

EDMONTON – Most eyes are fixed squarely on COVID-19, but Alberta noticed something unusual in its data for other diseases: more patients are avoiding immediate treatment for heart attacks and strokes – leading to even worse outcomes.

“[They] are going to spend longer in the hospital, they’re going to have more damage done to your heart,” said cardiologist Dr. Michelle Graham. “The more damage done to your heart, the more likely you are to develop heart failure. If you develop heart failure, sometimes the prognosis of heart failure is worse than some cancers.

“And multiple other things in primary care, delay in screening, delay in immunizations, that is going to have a far-reaching effect,” echoed Dr. Ann Collins with the Canadian Medical Association.

Overall, fewer Canadians are seeking necessary treatment during the pandemic. Concerns over contracting COVID-19 is one driving force, but so too is our polite nature.

“Older patients who thought, ‘You’re too busy, you’re dealing with a pandemic, I don’t want to add to that.’ The message is to reassure those folks not to ignore those symptoms,” said Collins.

One solution to addressing those concerns could be the continued rise of virtual visits.

“And it’s not for every medical issue, but it has certainly allowed access that would have been markedly impaired by pandemic restrictions,” said Collins.

Primary care physicians are also sounding the alarm for long-haul virus patients, saying many are confused about their path forward.

“They often need very coordinated care among specialties, and then someone to implement that care with suggestions and to support them,” said Collins.

“We’re going to start seeing the impacts of the first wave in the next few months,” said Graham.

Ultimately, health officials say the long-term result of undiagnosed illnesses will hurt patients and the care system, which is why they’re urging people to look beyond their COVID-19 concerns.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of the effort people have put in, we just want to remind people that your health is important to us – not just your safety from COVID-19. Your overall health is important to us,” said Collins.