RICHMOND, Va. -- Have you been putting off going to the doctor because you are afraid of COVID-19? Doctors, medical experts, and even the governor say you shouldn't.
“I want to encourage Virginians to take care of their health. If you need to see a doctor or provider, please go. While we need to be careful of the Coronavirus. We should not let illnesses or injuries go untreated,” Governor Ralph Northam said at a recent press conference.
Doctor Daniel Falcao, Interim Director for the Comprehensive Stroke Center at VCU, said VCU Health is seeing a 37% decrease in stroke patients.
"My fear is if someone has a weakness of the arm or slurred speech, that person will not come to the ER and waits for days and those symptoms, they can definitely worsen. And by the time the patient comes here, it’s too late to care for them acutely," said Dr. Falcao.
We know you have questions about how to stay safe when you go to the doctor, so we want to help provide you with answers.
Medical directors of Bon Secours, VCU Health HCA Virginia and the Director of the Richmond/Henrico Health District joined CBS 6 anchor Reba Hollingsworth for a healthcare town hall to talk about what is happening inside their hospitals to make sure patients are protected from COVID-19 when they go to the doctor.
COVID-19 Resource List:
Here are a list of resources from the local health systems that include COVID-19 protocols, updates, information and frequently asked questions.
VCU Health:
1-855-220-7193
www.vcuhealth.org/covid-19
Bon Secours:
888-700-9011
https://www.bonsecours.com/bon-secours-monitoring-coronavirus-covid-19
HCA Virginia:
(833) 582-1974
https://hcavirginia.com/covid-19/index.dot