Divergent Trends in Emergency Department Presentations Amid the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Chicago, Illinois.

ABSTRACT

Excess deaths during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been largely attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, patterns in CVD hospitalizations after the first surge of the pandemic have not well-documented. Our brief report, examining trends in health care avoidance documents that CVD hospitalizations decreased in Chicago before significant burden of COVID-19 cases or deaths and normalized during the first COVID-19 surge. These data may help to inform health care systems responses in the coming months while mobilizing vaccinations to the population at large.