Decline of acute coronary syndrome admissions in Austria since the outbreak of COVID-19: the pandemic response causes cardiac collateral damage

Collateral damage of COVID‐19 pandemic: Delayed medical care

“…A recent article published in the Washington Post, 1 has reported that physicians in the United States, Spain, and the UK have all noticed a serious decline in the number of patients coming to the ER not only for typical problems like appendicitis, bowel obstructions, gall bladder problems but also for the more critical heart attacks and strokes. Metzler reports a 40% decline in the number of admissions for STEMI and non‐STEMI in Austria during the COVID‐19 pandemic 2 . In a soon to be published report by Garcia, 3 number of cardiac catheterization laboratory activations for STEMI have been reduced by almost 40% in nine high‐volume centers in the United States.…”

“…There most certainly are many others like this patient, who have suffered or will suffer a catastrophic complication due to delay in treatment. Metzler et al 2 posits that if 40% of people are not seeking care for acute coronary syndromes, and assuming 40% of those untreated people suffer a significant complication or death, the effect of COVID‐19 pandemic on non‐COVID related health of our population may be even more devastating than COVID‐19 itself. And this case just highlights the fact that this assumption may not be too far from the truth.…”

Coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID ‐19): angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers and cardiovascular disease

“…This decrease in ED attendances has also been reported in Europe, Canada and Australia . ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) rates fell by about 40% in reports from Austria and the United States . It is possible that COVID‐19 is associated with plaque stabilisation and lower rates of STEMI, but it seems more likely that people with heart disease are abandoning usual medical advice at a time when they may need it the most.…”

Cardiology after COVID-19: Quo Vademus?

“…Undeniably, the psychological impact of the pandemic on patients is significant. Fewer subjects with cardiac conditions are seeking help as most are reluctant to visit hospital 3,5 . This behaviour, together with the cessation of routine cardiovascular procedures, is helping healthcare systems to cope with the excessive admission rate of patients with COVID-19.…”