In King County, 911 calls for serious health problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, have decreased.
It's another unintended consequence of the pandemic.
Officials believe people aren't calling 911 because they're afraid of being infected with COVID-19.
They warn a reluctance to call for help could mean that people would die.
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“This is literally life or death. People that are not calling 911 because they have chest pain and are afraid to come are putting their lives at risk,” said Dr. Michael Sayre, medical director of the Seattle Fire Department.
Sayre said 911 calls for serious health issues are down by 25% in King County.
“We think that sometimes people that are having chest pain are really having a heart attack — what we would call a STEMI,” he added.
Delaying care can have fatal consequences.
Fire crews are also seeing a 10% rise in people found dead upon arrival, and Dr. Sayre is worried these are lives that could have been saved.
“Some of those folks I suspect are dying at home because they didn't call 911 earlier,” Dr. Sayre said.
He understands people are worried about possibly getting COVID-19 and overwhelming the hospital, as these were the concerns early on during the pandemic.
But here's his message now: there's room; the hospital is safe.
“If you would have called 911 in the past for the kind of symptoms you're having today, that’s what you ought to do now, too,” said Dr. Sayre.
Officials want to remind you that if you have chest pain, suddenly develop weakness in the face, arm or leg or have difficulty speaking, call 911.
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