A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 41% of Americans avoided medical care due to concerns over COVID-19 — a trend that could lead to worsening mortality rates among people with ongoing medical conditions.
During June 24–30, 2020, a total of 5,412 of 9,896 eligible adults completed web-based COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation Initiative surveys administered by Qualtrics, LLC, according to the report. Respondents were asked “Have you delayed or avoided medical care due to concerns related to COVID-19?”
“Nearly one third of adult respondents reported having delayed or avoided routine medical care, which might reflect adherence to community mitigation efforts such as stay-at-home orders, temporary closures of health facilities, or additional factors,” the reported added.
“However, if routine care avoidance were to be sustained, adults could miss opportunities for management of chronic conditions, receipt of routine vaccinations, or early detection of new conditions, which might worsen outcomes.”
As of Sept. 8, the total number of #COVID19 cases in the US surpassed 6 million. COVID-19 is widespread in many areas, particularly in the upper Great Plains, Midwest, and South. Additionally, 5 states reported over 10,000 new cases in the last week. https://t.co/CEcelDa6Hb pic.twitter.com/Rd21gAKo6c
— CDC (@CDCgov) September 9, 2020
The study also notes that avoiding “urgent or emergency care was more “prevalent among unpaid caregivers for adults, persons with underlying medical conditions, Black adults, Hispanic adults, young adults, and persons with disabilities.” (Related: 25% Of Young Adults Say They Considered Suicide During Coronavirus Pandemic: CDC)
There have been 6,343,562 confirmed cases and 190,262 deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S., according to the CDC, as of Sept. 10.