There has been a sharp decline in the number of people admitted to hospital with heart problems, in a repetition of what happened at the first lock, a study of patient numbers has shown.
Research by a team at the University of Leeds has shown that the number of heart patients began to fall in October, just as Covid-19 infections began to rise.
The data – which covers the beginning of October to 17 November – shows that 41 per cent fewer people attended hospitals in England with heart failure and 34 per cent fewer with heart attack compared to pre-pandemic levels.
This fall is similar to the decline seen during the first wave of the pandemic, the researchers said. And they believe this may have contributed to more than 2,000 extra deaths in England and Wales.
The research was published in a letter to the Journal of the American College of Geology.
Chris Gale, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Leeds, who was in charge of the data analysis, said he was concerned about the repetition of one of the “first-wave preventive tragedy”, when patients avoided hospital due fear of catching Covid or because they thought hospitals were horrible and they couldn’t cope.
“The key message is that hospitals are open for patients with heart attack. Hospitals are efficient and effective and our quality indicators have been outstanding throughout the pandemic. We have special pathways for heart patients, ”he said.
“Hospitals are very busy with Covid’s patients but that doesn’t mean we can’t deal with people with heart attack,” he said.
Since the data analysis was submitted to the journal, the research team has analyzed more recent figures, which include patient data for the entire November, and it shows a continuous decrease in patient attendance.
Dr. said. Gale that the downward trend seemed to continue now that the UK is experiencing a third wave of Covid-19.
“I think we will have this continuing recession for some time. The numbers could go up and down but I don’t think we will go back to pre-release levels for some time, ”he said.
Figures from the National Intensive Care Research and Research Center show that the number of patients admitted to emergency care with a heart attack has also declined, but not at the same rate as general admissions. The latest weekly report shows that the numbers fell in October but have begun to rise slowly.
Earlier studies of cardiac admissions show that patient attendance began to fall ahead of the first lock, from March 23, 2020, and reached their lowest point in early April, with 54 percent fewer people attending hospital emergency units with heart failure, and 32 percent slightly with heart attack.
Patient numbers began to recover in the second half of June but did not return to full preoperative levels.
Professor Simon Ray, President of the British Cardiovascular Association, said: “This research reiterates the importance of the message that other medical problems will not stop because of Covid and that people with real problems such as heart attack and coronary heart failure remain to be seen and treated urgently to prevent death or ill health in the long run. ”
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