In a Kaiser Family Foundation poll of 1,189 adults, 48% of Americans reported they or a family member had skipped or delayed medical care due to the coronavirus pandemic, and 11% reported a worsening condition as a result. This reluctance to seek care has been evident in the sharp decline in emergency visits nationwide. American College of Emergency Physicians President William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, urged people to seek needed care, noting the measures hospitals are taking to keep patients safe and prevent the spread of the virus. Although 86% of those who reported delaying care said their health had “stayed about the same,” 40% of Americans said coronavirus-related stress had negatively affected their mental health. (Kaiser Health News story, 5/27/20)
