Journal of cardiovascular medicine
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · May 2021
Observational StudyCOVID-19 impact on ST-elevation myocardial infarction incidence rate in a Italian STEMI network: a U-shaped curve phenomenon.
Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak may impact on the incidence rate of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in severely affected areas. However, this phenomenon demands attention also in areas where media and patients were focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, but the healthcare system was not overwhelmed by the huge number of COVID-19 patients. ⋯ During the COVID-19 outbreak, we observed a marked reduction in the STEMI incidence rate. This U-shaped phenomenon demands attention because a potential cause for the decrease in STEMI incidence may include the avoidance of medical care. Public campaigns aiming to increase awareness of ischemic symptoms may be needed during community outbreak.