Coronavirus numbers have continued to grow, but that doesn't mean that other serious health conditions are not still happening in the community. It has been noted that there has been a decrease in the number of cardiac patients hospitals have been seeing worldwide since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Thomas Hill, MD a cardiologist at Mercy Health Physician Partners Westshore Cardiology explains.
The obvious concern is that people are staying home with their symptoms and not coming in with their heart attacks, mostly due to fear of exposure to coronavirus.
If people are having symptoms of a heart attack or stroke they still need call 911 and come in. The risk of getting COVID-19 by coming to the emergency room is extremely low. All staff are wearing masks and have done an excellent job separating COVID-19 patients from everyone else. You will need to wear a mask if you are coming to the emergency room, however the risk of staying home with a heart attack or stroke is significantly higher than the risk of calling 911 and getting to the hospital.
In addition, our primary care and specialty care offices are set up to provide virtual care options to our patients. If you have questions or concerns about your health, call your primary care provider.
If you think you have COVID-19, call your doctor who can help determine if you need testing. If your MHPP doctor orders you a COVID-19 test, Mercy Health now offers two drive-through testing centers, located in Grand Rapids and Muskegon. Patients stay in their vehicles to reduce exposure, and a health care professional takes a necessary swab to diagnose COVID-19. It takes only a few minutes and results are back within 24 hours. If you do not have a primary care provider, you can still call 616-685-COVD (2683) to see if you qualify for testing. If you are looking for a primary care provider, please visit our website by clicking here.
