Hospitals around Middle Georgia are experiencing a decrease in the number of patients going to the emergency room.
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New tonight: emergency rooms in middle georgia are seeing a decrease in the number of people they are treating.
41nbc's peyton lewis has more details.
0:25-0:43 0:54- 1:11 1:58-2:00 "if you have something that's an emergency, if it was an emergency before it's still an emergency.
Come see us, we're here for you."
Emergency rooms in middle georgia are experiencing a decrease in the number of patients.
The medical director of the emergency center at the medical center navicent health, dr. john wood, says patients are scared to go to the e-r in fear of contracting covid-19.
"what we're seeing an what we're worried about is that we have noticed a slight trend in patients that what would call your standard or routine emergency, your chest pains or stroke-like symptoms who are avoiding coming to the hospital for fear of being exposed to covid-19."
Fairview park hospital in dublin is experiencing the same issue.
Emergency physician, dr. jeff sarata, says people are waiting to receive critical treatment that could save their life.
"unfortunately i did see a gentleman in that same scenario a few days ago and he had waited with his chest pain for a couple days before he came in and his chest pain was a heart attack and it eventually resulted in some permanent damage to his heart because he waited so long."
In a survey of 4-hundred50 middle georgians, 75% said they would use the emergency room if needed, 18% said they would call an ambulance, and 7% said they would avoid the e-r.
Despite many saying they would go to the hospital, according to e-r doctors, they are seeing the opposite.
Dr. sparta says the number of patients his emergency room sees, has declined by almost 40%.
"well in a normal day, pre-coronavirus i think we were averaging around 140 per day and right now we're averaging around 90 per day."
Both hospitals have taken precautionary measures to protect patients by screening everyone entering the building c1 3 b13 for covid-19.
In macon, peyton lewis 41nbc news.
Due to the COVID-19 -pandemic, Middle Georgia residents are scared to visit hospitals for emergencies.