U.S. medical testing, cancer screenings plunge during coronavirus outbreak - data firm analysis

Reuters ^ | April 28, 2020 | Robin Respaut and Deborah J. Nelson

[grundle]

Routine medical tests critical for detecting and monitoring cancer and other conditions plummeted in the United States since mid-March, as the coronavirus spread and public officials urged residents to stay home...

Diagnostic panels and cancer screenings typically performed during annual physician visits fell by as much as 68% nationally, and by even more in coronavirus hotspots.

These tests, office visits, surgeries and other medical care tied to them, are key sources of revenue for hospitals and healthcare systems that had to curb lucrative elective procedures to assure room for a crush of patients with COVID-19...

Millions of patients postponed tests considered crucial for detecting early signs of disease, monitoring its progression and improving patient outcomes...

Cervical cancer screenings were down 68%, cholesterol panels fell by 67% and the blood sugar test to detect diabetes were off 65% nationally...

... the sharpest decline of tests and screenings in areas hardest hit by the epidemic, such as New York’s Manhattan, where A1c blood tests for diabetes dropped by more than 90%. In Massachusetts, cholesterol testing fell 80.5%, while in California, screening to detect cervical cancer before it spreads and becomes difficult to treat were off 76.3%....

[Sacajaweau]

No one wants to go to the death hospitals of NY for sure.

[Alberta's Child]

This tells me that insurance companies are going to make a lot of money despite paying out billions of dollars in claims for COVID-19 treatment. Their claims for other medical treatments are dramatically lower than they would have been.

[Buckeye McFrog]

A reporter should ask Fauci or Birx what they think of this at the next presser.

Of course they won’t.

[Fast Moving Angel]

Interesting is right ... maybe those tests aren’t so necessary after all?

[norwaypinesavage]

What a surprise! Who would have thought that when the government requires you to cancel doctor visits that the number of doctor visits drops? These Swamp Media prognosticators must be geniuses.

[Hattie]

The mental and physical health of the American people are being harmed and neglected by leaders who are worshipping a virus.

[gunnyg]

Even griping,p!ss!ng and moaning,b!tch!n’, etc....don’t hear much anymore....tells me morale is realllllly bad!
:(
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Semper TRUMP!
GyG@PlanetWTF?
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[LateBoomer]

But how reassuring to know (possibly, maybe, sorta) that they won’t die of COVID-19.

[HangnJudge]

Hard to maintain social distancing when getting/giving PAP smear

[LeeClementineKenny]

Something like this was coming sooner or lster, regardless. We allowed the problem with China to get out of control, and there wasn’t any way out of that problem without major disruptions. That’s something we need to focus on. The economy isn’t going back to what it was overnight, and we better have a plan for both China and democrats. The right should exploit the situation instead of complaining. The economic destruction and sacrifice is horrible, but the primary people to blame are the China-first establishment who enriched themselves for decades. There were plenty of people warning about the situation we find ourselves in now.

This is as much an opportunity as it is a disaster. The threat from China was easy to see coming, and no one should have been shocked when something big happened. It was inevitable. The problem could have easily been avoided to begin with, but it was allowed to fester into what it is now. Americans need to understand we are in a war that's bigger than our current economic trouble, and that things will get a lot worse if we lose that war.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Why would they test/treat other diseases/conditions if they’re paid an additional 20% for diagnosing/treating corona virus patients?