Emergency department visits
ED visits for three acute life-threatening conditions declined significantly in the 10 weeks after the U.S. declared a national emergency over COVID-19, relative to the 10 weeks before the declaration, researchers report in MMWR. Using a CDC surveillance database, the researchers found that myocardial infarction visits fell by 23%, stroke visits by 20%, and hyperglycemic crisis visits by 10%. The largest declines in MI and stroke visits were observed among adults aged 65 and older. The authors write, “Clear, frequent, highly visible communication from public health and health care professionals is needed to reinforce the importance of timely care for medical emergencies and to assure the public that EDs are implementing infection prevention and control guidelines.”