Decrease in emergency medical services utilization during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To date in the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decrease in patients accessing emergency health services, (EHS) but research has been conducted in areas with a very high incidence of COVID-19. In an area with a low COVID-19 incidence, we estimate changes in EHS use.

Methods

We compared EHS encounters in British Columbia from March 15 (the date of school and business closures) to May 15, 2020, when compared to the same period in 2019. We categorized EHS encounters into 18 presenting complaints and prespecified critical care complaints including major trauma, cardiac arrest, stroke, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction. We analyzed by descriptive methods.

Results

Comparing 2019 to 2020, total EHS encounters decreased from 83,925 (incidence rate 834 per 10

SUBMITTER: Grunau B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7816052 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature