Newton-Wellesley Hospital has requested that we share this:
For those who may be wary of visiting a hospital during these anxious times, let us assure you: Massachusetts hospitals are open for businessWe have the beds. We have the physicians. We have the nurses. We have the specialists. We have the resources.Our healthcare system is effectively caring for our COVID-19 patients while also maintaining the capacity to treat any other patient who requires emergency medical careNewton-Wellesley Hospital and all Massachusetts hospitals are taking comprehensive precautions and doing everything possible to keep our emergency departments clean and safeWe have also vastly increased our ability to treat patients remotely, removing the need to see patients in person unless there is an immediate need to do soDirect ask of the public: if you experience chest pain and sweating, slurred speech and facial drooping, severe abdominal pain, an asthma attack, suffer an accident like a fall or a deep cut, or any other symptom that causes you concern, we urge you to seek medical attention as soon as possibleØCall 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department
- Our doctors and nurses will be there to provide you with the highest quality medical care the Commonwealth is known for
This is an important message and urgent for people to heed. Hospitals are seeing increases in preventable catastrophes like ruptured appendixes, major heart damage from untreated heart attacks, amputations from untreated leg sores in diabetics, and more. If you have signs of a stroke or heart attack, DON’T WAIT.
https://www.universalhub.com/2020/hospitals-report-increases-amputations-ruptured
Perhaps a silly question, but how does this jibe with messaging from MEMA, saying to FIRST use the online assessment app (https://www.buoyhealth.com/symptom-checker/?configuration=ma_covid&concern=coronavirus) and/or call your doctor – before heading to a testing site or an ER.
We definitely shouldn’t ignore symptoms. But when should we head to an ER immediately, when should we call first?
@Miles Fidelman – No contradiction there.
The first line at the top of that on-line assessment app is “If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate attention please call 911 or the number for your local emergency service.”
@Miles Fidelman – the problem is that people are experiencing non-coronavirus emergencies and not getting seen. If you aren’t sure something is an emergency, it’s fine to call and talk to your doctor’s office first to see if you need to go to the ER (but check quickly, don’t just sit around for days). But if you have stroke or heart attack symptoms call 911 right away.