TORONTO -- For two weeks in April, Terry McGinnis ignored his chest pain and shortness of breath out of fear that a trip to the hospital could lead him to contracting COVID-19.
It wasnt until the 76-year-old retiree from Vancouver began experiencing chest pain even while resting that he decided it was time to visit a doctor.
They suggested that I take a stress test, so I went down and took a stress test and I couldn't pass the walking part, he told CTV News from his hospital room. They suggested if I have this happening when you're resting. You should go to the emergency (room) immediately.
On April 29, McGinnis was rushed to the Vancouver General Hospital for a risky emergency quadruple bypass that could have been avoided had his condition been treated sooner.
If he waits another day or two, its unlikely he would have survived, said Dr. David Wood, president of the Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology. He had a 99 per cent blockage in the big main artery supplying the heart. He likely would have died.
It doesnt appear McGinnis is alone in avoiding medical treatment for potential cardiac episodes. Cardiologists are reporting as much as a 40-per-cent reduction in patients with heart attacks showing up at emergency rooms, and worry people might be choosing to fight their symptoms at home instead of visiting a hospital.
The problem is patients are afraid that they're going to get COVID when they come to hospitals, so they're staying at home and by the time they do present, they're much sicker than they would have been, Wood said. We've seen this in other countries around the world and now we're starting to see this in Canada.
Cardiologists also dont believe people are getting any healthier, either. In fact, some worry heart health might actually be getting worse due to added stress and inactivity during these times.
During times of stress in the past, such as 9/11 or other very stressful situations like earthquakes, we normally would expect increasing numbers of people having an acute heart attack, said Dr. Chi-Ming Chow, a cardiologist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Now when you come into the emergency room -- in the last few weeks -- you notice it's quite empty.
Due to this concerning trend, cardiologists are now shifting their focus towards urging the public that they need to call 911 if theyre experiencing signs of a cardiac episode.
During the pandemic of COVID-19, its really important to recognize that emergencies, are still emergencies, heart attacks do occur, strokes do occur, Chow said. If symptoms of heart attack or stroke occur, you have to call 911 or seek emergency medical health and don't be afraid of getting help.
Chow and a team at the Canadian Cardiovascular Society have launched the Emergencies are Emergencies campaign to get the message out to people in the community:
On Monday, Wood and several other cardiologists in North America published a set of guidelines for ramping cardiac surgeries back up to normal.
We partnered with 15 heart societies around from the world representing over 90,000 heart specialists --because we wanted to send a clear message that there is a way to safely reintroduce heart procedures so that we can treat patients on our waiting list, Wood said.
Among the eight guidelines:
Meanwhile, McGinnis expects to be leaving the hospital in a few days and hopes telling his story eases some of the concerns people might have with going to a hospital during the pandemic.
People are afraid to come to hospitals becausethey think its a place where the diseases is, but theyre very, very clean here, he said. They changed all kinds of procedures, you can tell just by the staff. It's all new to them too. So theyre really closing the place down as far as people coming and going.
- Heart Disease - April 10th, 2018 [April 10th, 2018]
- Heart and Cardiovascular Research - April 10th, 2018 [April 10th, 2018]
- Heart and Cardiovascular Research - iMedPub - May 22nd, 2018 [May 22nd, 2018]
- Heart Disease - A Closer Look at Stem Cell Treatments - May 27th, 2018 [May 27th, 2018]
- Heart Conferences | Heart Congress | Cardiology ... - June 26th, 2018 [June 26th, 2018]
- Heart disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - September 21st, 2018 [September 21st, 2018]
- Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke | NIDDK - September 29th, 2018 [September 29th, 2018]
- Heart Diseases & Disorders - Heart Rhythm Society - October 31st, 2018 [October 31st, 2018]
- Heart Disease - Closer Look at Stem Cells - November 15th, 2018 [November 15th, 2018]
- What is Heart Disease?, HHS, NIH, NHLBI - December 28th, 2018 [December 28th, 2018]
- Types of Heart Disease | Covenant HealthCare - December 30th, 2018 [December 30th, 2018]
- Heart Disease - Lab Tests Online - December 30th, 2018 [December 30th, 2018]
- Heart Diseases | Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center ... - December 30th, 2018 [December 30th, 2018]
- Heart Healthy Lifestyle - Prevent Heart Diseases - HeartCare - January 26th, 2019 [January 26th, 2019]
- Breast cancer most prevalent in Sabah - The Borneo Post - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Menopause and womens heart health - Udaipur Kiran - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Low Birth Weight Linked To Heart Problems In Adulthood: Study - News Nation - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Consuming Red Meat And Pork Linked To Heart Disease And Cancer - Peoria Observer - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Yes, we still need to cut down on red and processed meat - The Conversation AU - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- On oral contraceptive pills? You could be at risk of heart disease! - Times Now - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Rutgers researchers find heart valve infections increasing in hospitals - RU Daily Targum - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Most common warning symptoms of heart attack - Elets - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Adults Who Lost Teeth More Prone to Heart Attack, Stroke - SciTechDaily - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Heart and Stroke Foundation: 80% of heart attacks, strokes can be prevented - Northern Natal Courier - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Heart diseases on the rise: experts - newagebd.net - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Heart attack: Best diet to protect against the life-threatening condition - Express - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Women 'suffering and dying' because of inequalities in heart disease diagnosis and treatment - Holyrood - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- B'luru's air pollution contributing to heart diseases? Study finds drivers are at risk - The News Minute - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Alia Bhatt supports fundraising for kids with heart diseases: They are more positive than adults - India Today - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Reduce heart disease at the American Heart Associations Heart Walk - KXAN.com - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Losing teeth may not be a good sign, could be indicative of heart disease risk - Economic Times - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Tooth Loss Associated with Higher Risk of Heart Disease - Cath Lab Digest - October 6th, 2019 [October 6th, 2019]
- Heart failure is the silent killer you've been ignoring - Times of India - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- FDA awards 12 grants to fund new clinical trials to advance the development of medical products for the treatment of rare diseases - FDA.gov - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Daikon Radish: Types, Nutrition, Benefits, and Uses - Healthline - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Air Pollution May Affect Every Organ, Cell in the Body - Voice of America - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Less than 6 hours of sleep a night linked to increased risk of early death - NHS Website - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Disabled mum left in tears after DWP wrongly stopped all her benefits - Mirror Online - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- How to live longer: Best diet to boost your life expectancy - what to eat - Express - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Men Should Stop Drinking Six Months In Advance If They Plan to Be Fathers - AskMen - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Dr. Roach: Assessing the risks of secondhand cigarette smoke - The Detroit News - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- What is vascular disease? - Midland Daily News - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Fauna Bio Receives Grant From the National Institutes of Health to Advance Its Drug Repurposing Platform - BioSpace - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Bacon rashers, statistics, and controversy - The BMJ - The BMJ - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Why should you have semolina (suji) for weight loss - Times of India - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- 4 blind spots in the confusing debate about red meat - Inverse - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Inflammation Signs That Are Often Overlooked - msnNOW - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- MKRMS seminar: Experts stress regular exercise, healthy food for heart health - The News International - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Exercise, healthy food for heart health stressed - The News International - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation Awards $775000 to 11 Innovative Heart Health Programs & Announces Open Call for Applications - Business Wire - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- How to live longer: The superfood proven to boost brain and heart health - Express - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- People with mental disorder at high risk of heart diseases - Yahoo India News - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Do Women Need To Worry About Heart Disease? - Version Weekly - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Stroke rates continue decline in the U.S. - Reuters - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- 6 Foods That Can Help Protect You Against Life-Threatening Ailments - International Business Times - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Prevention of Heart Disease - The Sentinel Assam - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Tooth loss linked to higher risk of heart disease - The New Indian Express - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Performing HIIT Exercises Can Help Minimize The Risk Of Contracting A Heart Disease - International Business Times - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Heart disease: Best exercise to lower the risk of developing the deadly condition - Express - October 10th, 2019 [October 10th, 2019]
- Shropshire people left more than 343000 in wills to British Heart Foundation - shropshirestar.com - October 11th, 2019 [October 11th, 2019]
- Queen's Speech puts air pollution, science and the NHS on the agenda - British Heart Foundation - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- In a rural Wisconsin village, the doctor makes house calls and sees some of the rarest diseases on Earth - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Treatment And Management Of Heart Disease During Pregnancy - Version Weekly - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Severe dental diseases persist in S.D. due to chronic poverty and lack of access to dentists - KELO AM-FM - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- New York Ranks 25th In Nation In First-Ever Childhood Obesity Study - WAER - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Saddleridge Fire Leads to Poor Air Quality, Tips on Staying Healthy - NBC Southern California - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- This country just became the first to ban ads for sugary drinks - WGAL Lancaster - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Heart disease: Three dietary tips to keep the risks at bay - Express - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Eating habits that can reverse heart disease - Daily Monitor - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Hale and hearty: Tips to maintain good heart health - The New Indian Express - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Exercise Is Especially Important For Those With Heart Disease - Anti Aging News - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Exercise good for people with heart disease, other physical ailments - Al Bawaba - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Should you eat red meat or not? A dietitian explains the latest nutrition science on meat, eggs and butter - NBC News - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- Rheumatic heart disease in Northern Territory 'a bloody health emergency' - The Guardian - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- PPMD Grants to Promote Gene Therapy for Heart Disease and Patient Outcomes Research - Muscular Dystrophy News - October 15th, 2019 [October 15th, 2019]
- University of Guelph researchers track how cats' weights change over time - Jill Lopez - October 20th, 2019 [October 20th, 2019]
- Study Shows That a 50% Pay Raise Lowers the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases by 15% - WORLD OF BUZZ - October 20th, 2019 [October 20th, 2019]
- Dog owners less likely to have cardiovascular diseases, and better chances of recovering from strokes or heart - MEAWW - October 20th, 2019 [October 20th, 2019]
- Keep your heart pumping - The New Indian Express - October 20th, 2019 [October 20th, 2019]
- How Can We Curb the Spread of Scientific Racism? - Scientific American - October 20th, 2019 [October 20th, 2019]