Deaths due to delayed presentation to the hospital from fear of contracting COVID-19 during lockdown period: a tertiary care center experience

Bibliographic Details
Title: Deaths due to delayed presentation to the hospital from fear of contracting COVID-19 during lockdown period: a tertiary care center experience
Authors: Saurabh Bansal, Moni Roy, Tulika Chatterjee, Ashish Kumar Roy
Source: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives, Vol 11, Iss 3, Pp 299-301 (2021)
Publisher Information: Greater Baltimore Medical Center, 2021.
Publication Year: 2021
Collection: LCC:Internal medicine
Subject Terms: covid-19, lockdown, non-covid mortality, stay-home, Internal medicine, RC31-1245
More Details: Background: Sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in March 2020 due to spread of pandemic led to immediate lockdown order in many states and cities across the USA. Everyone had to stay home to stop the spread of the virus. We investigated all deaths in our hospital during lockdown period and assessed how many presented and died from non-COVID-19-related illness. Among those deaths, we assessed how many presented late due to excessive fear of catching coronavirus in the hospital and succumbed to the same illness due to very late presentation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of every patient who expired in the hospital in a 45-day period, March–April 2020. Results: Three of 107 (2.8%) deaths during lockdown period in this hospital were clearly attributable to delayed presentation arising specifically from fear of coming to the hospital. All three died from non-COVID-19-related illnesses. Conclusions: Authors hereby propose enhanced efforts in the direction to alleviate unnecessary fear among public even during lockdown. People should be encouraged to continue to access health care for serious/fatal medical conditions regardless of the pandemic.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2000-9666
20009666
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2000-9666
DOI: 10.1080/20009666.2021.1918440
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/e105c29f1e294b22ae6576f1f92f293d
Accession Number: edsdoj.105c29f1e294b22ae6576f1f92f293d
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:20009666
DOI:10.1080/20009666.2021.1918440
Published in:Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives
Language:English