ORANGE PARK – Many of the country’s emergency rooms are dealing more with patients who are experiencing a shortness of breath, fever and other symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic than heart attacks and strokes, according to the American Heart Association.

Hospitals are sounding the alarm to warn patients not to be afraid to seek help, even with stay-at-home orders.

“There’s clearly a drop in these two acute conditions coming into the hospital with, namely, heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Youseff Al-Saghir, a cardiologist at Orange Park Medical Center. “The hypothesis is that because of the stay home order in most states, patients have been trying to stay home for one, and for [No.] two, older patients with significant risk factors for these two conditions are very concerned and anxious about going to the hospital hearing they’re going to get infected because obviously it is detrimental to them.”

One hospital in Kansas City reported a 70% decline of business in its emergency room. TeamHealth reported a 65% reduction in anesthesia services. HCA Healthcare, which owns OPMC, recently closed clinics and outpatient facilities while cutting employees’ hours.

Dr. Al-Saghir, however, is more alarmed by the growing numbers of people who’ve decided to tough-out heart attacks and strokes as a response to the novel coronavirus.

“Unfortunately, despite the fact these conditions are serious, they should be coming to the hospital if they experience these conditions,” he said. “They have not been doing that. There actually has been a rise in-home mortality because patients are not coming to the hospital.

Primarily they’re staying at home. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s too late. Patients who are infected with the COVID-19, a percentage of them do exhibit some kind of cardiovascular effect from it. Certainly, it’s not that heart attacks and strokes are less. Patients are not coming to the hospital.”

And that often means recovery ends at the morgue.

While the number of heart attack and stroke patients have declined dramatically since COVID-19 led to closures throughout the world, the number of people having heart attacks and strokes hasn’t changed, Dr. Al-Saghir said.

“I do understand where they’re coming from, their anxiety, but my recommendation for anybody who experiences symptoms of heart attack, specifically chest discomfort, shortness of breath, any weakness or numbness, those are symptoms that are suggesting stroke,” he said. “Any of those symptoms are concerning, especially patients who have risk factors and they experience any of these symptoms they should come to the hospital despite the fact there is a stay at home order. I think it’s better for them to go to the hospital.

“Hospitals have taken significant measures to protect patients when they do come. That includes appropriate screening. That includes separation of patients who are suspected of having COVID, and certainly sterilizations have been universal. Hospitals have taken significant measures to protect patients. The risks, obviously, increase when you leave your home. However, the risk of having adverse events in these conditions outweigh the risks contracting the virus.”

Lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome are the two primary complications of COVID-19, according to the Harvard Gazette. But it’s also linked to heart damage since some patients with the novel coronavirus had elevated levels of cardiac troponin, a protein in the blood released by injured heart muscle.

That led medical officials to believe there should be greater numbers of heart-related emergencies.

“The biggest problem is when patients experience shortness of breath, radiation in the left arm, fatigue, weight gain – water weight gain. They’re not coming to the hospital. They’re not coming to the doctor’s office,” Dr. Al-Saghir said. “And sometimes it’s too late.”