Emergency room visits have dropped by almost 50% across Florida since the pandemic began and hospital officials are warning that patients suffering from heart attacks and strokes are delaying or refusing care because they are afraid of hospitals.
In Broward County, twice as many people were already dead by the time first responders arrived in April, compared to a year earlier.
UF Health Jacksonville recently started public service announcements assuring residents it’s safe to seek treatment after ER visits recently dropped 40%.
Broward Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joshua Lenchus says “People are waiting to come to the hospital until it’s too late and then they die.”
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