50% reduction in cases of heart attacks reported in lockdown, but death rate up as patients delay treatment due to Covid fears

Report findings by renowned cardiologists from Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai, in the run up to the World Heart Day. MADURAI / 28 September 2020 – There has been a more than 50% drop in cases of acute heart attack in three months of the ongoing lockdown, compared to the same period last year. Increased death rate has also been witnessed among patients of acute heart attacks admitted at the hospital due to delay in seeking medical care because of fear of Covid infection. Said Dr. N. Ganesan Senior Consultant – Cardiology, Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai: “We have witnessed a significant reduction in cases of acute heart attack during Covid19. Total patients admitted during three months of the lockdown at Meenakshi Mission Hospital is 355, compared to 820 cases during the same period in 2019. Our statistics concur with European and American heart surveys, both of which have shown a 50-60% reduction in cases of acute heart attack in their own countries...