Potential indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on use of emergency departments for acute life-threatening conditions - United States, January-May 2020

Samantha J Lange; Matthew D Ritchey; Alyson B Goodman; Taylor Dias; Evelyn Twentyman; Jennifer Fuld; Laura A Schieve; Giuseppina Imperatore; Stephen R Benoit; Aaron Kite-Powell; Zachary Stein; Georgina Peacock; Nicole F Dowling; Peter A Briss; Karen Hacker; Adi V Gundlapalli; Quanhe Yang

doi:10.1111/ajt.16239

Potential indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on use of emergency departments for acute life-threatening conditions - United States, January-May 2020

Am J Transplant. 2020 Sep;20(9):2612-2617. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16239.

Authors

Samantha J Lange^{1

2}, Matthew D Ritchey¹, Alyson B Goodman^{1

2}, Taylor Dias³, Evelyn Twentyman¹, Jennifer Fuld², Laura A Schieve², Giuseppina Imperatore¹, Stephen R Benoit¹, Aaron Kite-Powell^{2

3}, Zachary Stein³, Georgina Peacock², Nicole F Dowling¹, Peter A Briss¹, Karen Hacker¹, Adi V Gundlapalli^{2

3}, Quanhe Yang¹

Affiliations

¹ National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.
² CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.
³ Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.

Abstract

This article describes a significant decline in emergency department visits for acute life-threatening conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that patients may be delaying or avoiding care or unable to access care during the pandemic.

Publication types

Editorial

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus*
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
Coronavirus Infections / therapy
Emergencies / epidemiology*
Emergency Service, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Pandemics*
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
Pneumonia, Viral / therapy
SARS-CoV-2
United States / epidemiology