Coping with COVID: Fewer people are visiting the doctor, posing risks

Since the start of COVID-19 and proceeding stay-at-home orders, many individuals across the nation and in the Kansas City metro have chosen to avoid leaving home, including going to the doctor.

Although stay-at-home orders have eased across the state of Missouri, some people have taken the rise in new cases in the metro as a reason to not visit the doctor. These individuals fear the risk of contracting COVID-19, choosing to not seek care even if they are sick.

The decrease in the number of patients visiting the doctor has some medical professionals concerned, as choosing to not receive care can have serious health consequences. Despite some restrictions still in place, John Hopkins Medicine tells patients that they should not avoid seeing their doctor during the pandemic.

“People are trying to observe physical distancing and avoiding unnecessary exposure, such as going to the grocery store,” Brian Hasselfeld, M.D., assistant medical director for Digital Health Innovations at Johns Hopkins said. “But in terms of medical care, providers are worried, since ignoring serious signs and symptoms can be dangerous.”

Even emergency rooms across the country are seeing fewer patients for serious health problems, such as heart attack, stroke and acute appendicitis, according to an article on the John Hopkins Medicine website. Doctors at John Hopkins say that waiting too long to get help for life-threatening conditions can be more dangerous than infection with the new coronavirus.

Hasselfeld and along with his colleagues with the Johns Hopkins Community Physicians say that the numbers of patients the group is seeing has declined by 20% to 30%.

A recent article written by the New York Times reveals another reason for the drop in the number of patients visiting the doctor, noting that now, it’s not necessarily because of the virus itself. The article states that, although people stayed home to prevent exposure in the beginning, with a sudden increase in unemployment in recent weeks, medical care has become unaffordable for many.

“We are seeing the financial pressure hit,” Dr. Bijoy Telivala, a cancer specialist in Jacksonville, Fla. said to the New York Times. “This is a real worry,” he said, explaining that people are weighing putting food on the table against their need for care. For those facing a cost barrier, there has yet to a solution.

While many remain that have medical coverage available, an increasingly popular alternative for patients choosing to stay home has appeared: telemedicine.

“Patients are getting more used to interacting with these platforms, visiting with friends, working and ordering groceries. For years, health care was behind on these technologies, but we’re catching up fast in this pandemic. Patients are learning how convenient telemedicine can be,” Hasselfeld said.

Telemedicine has now been able to provide healthcare to patients remotely, though Hasselfeld recommends calling the doctor beforehand in some cases, such as a sudden change in health, to talk through symptoms. “Certain problems may require going to the office, an urgent care facility or emergency department, and your doctor can offer advice,” he said.