THE OTHER SILENT KILLER:

Fear of COVID-19 is causing thousands to go undiagnosed and vital medical issues to go untreated.

While we’ve all been social distancing, we’ve also been medical distancing But your doctor isn’t someone to avoid right now. In fact, a good wat y to continued maintain your health is to stay in touch with your care providers. Safety protocols are in place, making it possible for you to keep your appointments whether in person or by telemedicine. So no more toughing it out. And no more deferring the care you control, need. It,s time to start talking to your doctor again. StopMedicalDistancing.org

It’s not just COVID -19 cases that are on the rise across the country. The number of Americans avoiding urgent medical care over fear of catching the virus is also rising at an alarming rate—behavior which could prove to be even more deadly than the virus itself. A recent survey by the American Medical Association showed that nearly one-third of U.S. adults had postponed routine care during the pandemic, and one in 10 have said a family member’s condition has worsened as a result of delaying care. Some have even been avoiding treatment for heart attacks, strokes, and life-threatening injuries. Heart disease has long been the number one killer of Americans each year, responsible for one in four deaths. Yet 50 percent of Americans say they’re more afraid of contracting COVID-19 than exp experien cing a heart attack according to Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology. This has led to a worrying trend of people avoiding care when they suffer a cardiac event, with hospitals nationwide reporting up to a 60 percent reduction in admissions for heart attacks. There are also tens of millions of Americans with one or more chronic diseases, such as type two diabetes, hypertension, or asthma, that require regular monitoring and treatment to control. The longer these patients defer care for these conditions, the more at risk to adverse effects they become. And Crain’s Cleveland found that new cancer diagnoses are down 45 percent nationwide, an alarming statistic given that research has shown the earlier a diagnosis is made, the greater the ptient’s chance of survival. Even general emergency room volumes are down 50 percent nationwide according to CNBC. Leading doctors and medical professionals to believe that the percentage of patients avoiding care, even for serious injuries, is on the rise. Combined, the following conditions are known to the CDC to be claiming more American lives than COVID-19: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, strokes, cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, nephrosis, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, septicemia, essential hypertension, and hypertensive renal disease. Other conditions include: Parkinson’s disease, pneumonitis due to solids and liquids, viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), anemias, nutritional deficiencies, obesity, atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm, alcoholic liver disease, cholelithiasis and other disorders of the gallbladder, pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, congenital malformations, falls, accidental discharge of firearms, accidental exposure to smoke, accidental poisoning, exposure to noxious substances, chronic lower respiratory diseases, malignant neoplasms, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia. Additionally, talk to your doctor for issues with abdominal pain, back pain, chest pain, head injuries, chronic pain, if you feel chills, if you have a lasting fever, if you experience numbness, extended lightheadedness or dizziness, dry mouth, feel nauseated, shortness of breath, experience trouble breathing, changes in hearing or vision, trouble with short or long term memory, disruption of sleep patterns, unexpected weight loss or gain, muscle weakness, excessive sweating, swelling, chest pain, bleeding, heart burn, issues with bowels, vomiting, hair loss, itching, rashes, confusing, hallucinations, headaches, tics, tremors, stiffness in the neck, and any issues that are troubling you. Postponing care for these conditions has the potential to lead to a surge in hospitalizations and put more lives at risk. It will also further the needless taxing of a health system already stretched thin by this pandemic response. To minimize the risk to patients and caregivers in this pandemic, hospitals and health clinics have implemented a number of safe guards, including more aggressive cleaning procedures, instituting physical distanc ing requirements in waiting rooms, and organizing remote check-ins to minimize the time patients spending cl proximty to staff or high-touch areas. Additionally, safety measures have been put in place to keep you separate from COVID -19 patients. These include: checking temperatures, requiring masks, limiting the number of visitors, and practicing social distancing in waiting rooms, exam rooms,and emergency rooms. A government health organization recently released its own framework for healthcare systems and providers to deliver non-COVID-19 care during this . includes he use and expansion of telehealth services, guidelines to closely follow infection expanded services based on local and state epidemiology reports, and encouraging all medical professionals to be vigilant about detecting and responding to any rise in COVID-19 cases in the community. To help combat these fears and reverse the trend that’s emerged since stay-at-home orders have been put in place, doctors everywhere are urging people who have an urgent or emergency medical situation to not put it off. Talk to your doctor.