Thousands missed heart attack treatment during pandemic
A third of people with heart attacks may not have gone to hospital at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New research involving the University shows that only two thirds of the expected number of patients with heart attacks were admitted to hospital between the middle of February and the end of March 2020.
By the end of May, admission rates had partially recovered, but remained below expected levels.
In total, by the end of May there had been about 5,000 fewer admissions with heart attack in 2020 than would be expected, suggesting that many patients have missed out on lifesaving treatment.
Chris Gale, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Leeds' School of Medicine and one of the study’s authors, said: “One of the unintended consequences of the 'stay at home' message during the peak of the pandemic is that fewer people were seeking help for medical emergencies such as a heart attack.
