Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey
The U.S. Census Bureau has conducted a "Household Pulse Survey" each week in May, June, and July 2020 to determine the effects of COVID-19 on people's lives. Results show that Americans are experiencing delays in medical care due to concerns about the virus:
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At any time in the last 4 weeks, did you DELAY getting medical care because of the coronavirus pandemic? "Yes" Response - 41% (consistent each week)
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At any time in the last 4 weeks, did you need medical care for something other than coronavirus, but DID NOT GET IT because of the coronavirus pandemic? "Yes" Response - 33% (consistent each week)
Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Survey
SCAI released a survey on January 13, 2021, which found that fears regarding COVID-19 continue to prevent patients from seeking care:
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Nearly 40 percent of Americans do not feel safe going to a doctor's office during COVID-19.
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More than 30 percent of Americans have not had a routine check-up with their doctor since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
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More than half (51 percent) of people do not feel comfortable scheduling a medical procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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More people are afraid of contracting COVID-19 (58 percent) than having a heart attack or stroke (42 percent).
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Survey
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) initiated a two-week only survey effort on April 30 to understand how COVID-19 is affecting cancer patients and survivors. More than 1,200 cancer patients and survivors responded to the survey.
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Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported some change, delay or disruption to their health care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Of those who reported a change, delay, or disruption, the changes were suggested by the physician 64% of the time, by the patient 9% of the time, and jointly 27% of the time.
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In cases where the patients suggested changes to care, they most often did so because of anxiety about exposure to COVID-19 (55%) and lack of certainty about whether they should go out in public to obtain care (18%).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Study on Vaccinations
The CDC published a study in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report indicating that in May 2020, when compared with the month of May in 2016-2019, vaccination coverage declined in all milestone age cohorts, with the exception of birth-dose hepatitis B coverage. Findings included:
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Among children aged 5 months, up-to-date status for all recommended vaccines declined from approximately two thirds of children during 2016–2019 (66.6%, 67.4%, 67.3%, 67.9%, respectively) to fewer than half (49.7%) in May 2020.
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For the 16-month age cohort, coverage with all recommended vaccines declined, with measles-containing vaccination coverage decreasing from 76.1% in May 2019 to 70.9% in May 2020.
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In addition to a decline in up-to-date status in almost all age cohorts, the number of noninfluenza vaccine doses administered and reported for children aged ≤18 years decreased 21.5%, and the number of doses administered to children aged ≤24 months decreased 15.5% during January–April 2020, compared with the same averaged periods in 2018 and 2019.