Local Leaders Advocate for Hospital Visits During COVID-19

The "Don't Die of Doubt" campaign is an effort to bring awareness that hospitals are truly the safest place to be.

DULUTH, Minn. – There has been a significant decrease in the number of people coming into hospitals in the country for cases such as heart attacks and strokes due to a fear of going into hospitals because of the pandemic.

Leaders at St. Luke’s and at the American Heart Association are working to remind the public that hospitals are safe places to be.

There was a 42% decrease in ER visits in April nationwide compared to the same period last year, which is causing concern among local health experts.

The “Don’t Die of Doubt” campaign is an effort to bring awareness that hospitals are truly the safest place to be. Leaders say that while people are concerned about COVID, they shouldn’t fear going to the hospital to get treated for things like heart attacks and strokes.

“If you are sitting at home and wondering, maybe I’m having a heart attack, maybe I had a stroke, let’s wait it out and see,” said Briana Johnson, the director of development for the American Heart Association. “That time is precious and we need you to really get to the emergency room.”

Coronavirus is on everyone’s minds right now, but local doctors want to remind people to look out for their heart health during this time.

“Heart disease has not gone away,” said Mary Boylan, a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Luke’s Hospital. “And heart disease remains a very real danger to people who have respiratory heart disease.”

Health experts want to remind the public that hospitals are taking extra precautions during this pandemic, including screening for COVID-19 symptoms along with increased cleaning protocols to keep patients safe while treating COVID-19 patients in separate areas.