Unnecessary loss of life due to heart attack treatment delays

The number of heart attack patients seeking urgent hospital care has dropped by more than 50% during the Covid-19 outbreak leading to unnecessary deaths and an increase in life-threatening complications. The findings are from an extensive worldwide survey by the European Society of Cardiology and are published in the European Heart Journal €“ Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes (EHJ€“QCCO). The ESC survey of 3,101 healthcare professionals in 141 countries was conducted in mid-April. The vast majority of hospital physicians and nurses respondents reported a drop in the number of patients with these severe heart attacks coming to hospital, compared to before the Covid-19 crisis.