Data from more than 20 emergency rooms across five states seems to confirm anecdotal reports from health care workers.<br />According to Gizmodo, emergency rooms across the US saw a massive decline in visits in March and April.<br />The study speculates the decline was possibly due to people fearing they'd contract the novel coronavirus COVID-19 if they sought medical care.<br />ER data from Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina were included in the study.<br />Lead study author Edward Melnick said people may have unnecessarily suffered or even died because they feared seeking treatment at a hospital.<br />This is a case where public messaging appears to have worked too well. We said, ‘stay home,’ and what people heard was: ‘Stay home at all costs to avoid COVID-19.’ Associate Professor Edward Melnick Yale University
