key: cord-0841171-9fvq5ict
authors: Barten, Dennis Gerard; Latten, Gideon H.P.
title: Re: ‘Non-COVID-19 visits to emergency departments during the pandemic: the impact of fear’
date: 2020-06-06
journal: Public Health
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.05.063
sha: 3722331e9ac118241613737b4ab970291ff0a53e
doc_id: 841171
cord_uid: 9fvq5ict

nan

The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is an incredible stress test for emergency departments (EDs) worldwide. Not only should EDs be prepared for increasing related patient volumes, they should also preserve sufficient capacity for the 'usual' The authors focus on the fear by patients to contract the virus in hospitals, which may have resulted in reduced ED utilization for low-urgent complaints and a tendency to postpone specialist consultation. Although we agree that the impact of fear on hospital resource utilization during this pandemic is an important concern, we would like to provide some additional insights.

A few reports exist about reduced ED utilization during the first weeks of the pandemic. Nevertheless, fear likely contributed to reduced ED utilization (7, 8) and it has indeed been reported that patients delayed seeking emergency care because of COVID-19 fear. (4, 9) Therefore, it is vital that the public is properly informed about the safe hospital environment and the low risk to contract SARS-CoV-2. However, one should keep in mind that there is more than fear that keeps the patients away.

Non-COVID-19 visits to emergency departments during the pandemic: the impact of fear

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