Keeping doctor visits are crucial during COVID-19 pandemic

PITTSBURGH — The coronavirus pandemic has put our normal daily routines on pause.

Doctors stress that your health should still be a top priority and getting to the doctor's office for routine checkups and other care is crucial.

Health officials say there has been a recent trend of people who have stopped keeping up with doctor's visits and appointments.

They have seen a dropoff in screenings, blood tests and overall emergency room and urgent care visits nationwide, including here in Pittsburgh.

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Julian Whalen, of Penn Hills, admits she had the same COVID-19 fears many of us are experiencing, avoiding the hospital and doctors at all cots.

But in early May at the height of the pandemic, the 29-year-old mother knew something was terribly wrong.

“One morning I woke up and took a shower and all of a sudden got very dizzy and kind of shakes off off and then I got more dizzy and got out of the shower and lost my right mobility,” Whalen said.

And then she lost her speech. Whalen was having a stroke.

Luckily, she rushed to the hospital and got necessary treatment where they provided immediate treatment and saved her life.

Dr. Donald Yealy, the UPMC and University of Pittsburgh Chair of Emergency Medicine, said cases like this illustrate the importance of putting your health first even in the middle of a pandemic.

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“Use your judgment. The reason you have that gut feeling is to help protect you. Come and see is. Don’t let the fear of Covid 19 make you have a bad decision that will cost you your life.”

Doctors with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said doctors’ offices and hospitals are some of the safest places to be, because of the intense sanitizing and prevention measures in place.

They are taking necessary steps to keep everyone safe, from pre-screenings to immediate health checks when you arrive, said Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC & University of Pittsburgh Chair of Emergency Medicine.

Although you may feel nervous or apprehensive, don’t delay treatment, Yealy said.

Doctors can talk with you over the phone or through video conferencing if it’s not an emergency.

“When you choose to delay medical care, whether it’s when you’re having new symptoms yourself maybe completely unrelated to the virus, or you’re skipping routine care, you run the risk of making a worse decision because of the fear of COVID-19,” Yealy said.

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