Covid scaring people away from hospitals: researchers

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong on Monday warned that some elderly people and patients with chronic diseases may have avoided seeking medical treatment in hospital because of concerns relating to the pandemic, and this could have had dire consequences on occasions.

The research team said the number of visits to emergency departments at 18 public hospitals dropped more than a quarter between January and August last year compared to the same period in 2019.

At the same time, the city’s mortality rate rose from 2 to 2.9 percent, they said.

The researchers suggested that people might have avoided visiting accident and emergency departments as they were worried about being infected with Covid-19.

They said people might also have been concerned that their visits would place an extra burden on hospitals.

Emergency medicine professor at HKU, Timothy Hudson, said it’s important for patients to seek necessary medical treatment despite the pandemic.

“While it is important to advise patients on social distancing measures, they should also be educated to recognise the severity of their illnesses, and encouraged to seek appropriate medical advice in a timely manner,” he said.

The research team recommended the government set up a telephone advisory centre and an online consultation system to help triage patients and advise people on when it is necessary to attend an emergency department.