Covid-19 – Hospitals Record 40% Drop in Heart Attacks in 2020

– Hospitals see 40% drop in heart attacks in 2020

Heart patients have deserted hospitals during the pandemic. Doctors explain that many patients have stayed at home because of the Covid.

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Dominik Balmer

Posted: 09/11/2021, 10:23 PM—

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Cardiologist Christophe Wyss is from again hanged on the phone. PProfessor at the Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich, the is currently contacting his patients to inform them of the postponement of their heart surgery. At issue: intensive care is currently overloaded because of the coronavirus. The lack of space is felt throughout Switzerland.

Many of these patients who cannot be taken care of admit their incomprehension. «They say they have trouble breathing and have worrying symptoms», explains the doctor. And yet they have to wait. Some are angry with Covid patients who take their place.

Canceled operations

The story repeats itself. Last year, in the midst of a pandemic, hospitals had experienced this bottleneck, due to the excess number of cases Covid. The less urgent operations had to be postponed. Some had to be canceled. These changes did not spare heart patients.

We know more today. Hospital statistics from Helsana insurance give a precise idea of ​​this fluctuation. Last year, establishments recorded a 40% crisiss cardiacs in less. From 2019 to 2020, the number of cases fell from 6,700 to 3,900. This drop was more brutal, more than 50%, in the spring of 2020, during generalized containment. This finding is an extrapolation calculated on the basis of the insurer’s data. Included are all patients diagnosed with a heart attack who stayed at least one night in the hospital.’hospital, but who n’were not operated on immediately after diagnosis.

“Various studies done abroad show that a greater number of heart patients died at home during the pandemic, because they were not treated in time. Which probably also happened in Switzerland. ”

Christoph Wyss, cardiologist, professor at the Hirslanden clinic in Zurich

How to interpret this decrease? Caroline Bähler, specialist in Helsana, recalls the obvious. The victims of a heart attack did not disappear by half, but they were hospitalized less. Cardiologist Christophe Wyss talks about «underuse» infrastructures. Various studies made at the’foreigners show that a greater number of heart patients are deads at home during the pandemic, because they were not treated on time. What probably also happened in Switzerland, according to Christophe Wyss.

This underuse can be explained, according to Manuel Elmiger, director of the’Helsana study. Ofa part, the patients fled intensive care because of the coronavirus. They preferred to stay at home to avoid the risk of infection. Doctors, for their part, have also fueled this mistrust, but for fear of overloading hospitals. Recall that l’Federal Office of Public Health had asked health professionals to “renounce non-urgent medical interventions”.

Less stress

A final explanation, more societal, is possible. Containment due to Covid has slowed the pace of society. And so the potential stress. According to several specialists, it is possible that this general slowdown in daily life has influenced, on the decline, the number of heart patients and therefore heart attacks.

Manuel Elmiger wishes to reassure the population. THEa Switzerland took stock of the consequences of the pandemic in 2020 to improve care. Today, care remains guaranteed at all times, regardless of the health situation. One of the great lessons of this first year of the pandemic is this: the patient should never give up going to the hospital.

Dominik Balmer Since early 2020, the data journalism team has been leading the Tamedia survey unit. Before, he worked for various titles in the national and economic sections. He studied German language and literature – he also holds a Master of Arts in Legal Studies.

@DominikBalmer—Posted: 09/11/2021, 10:23 PM

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