The American Heart Association has created a public awareness campaign called "Don't Die of Doubt" which urges people to call 911 and seek emergency medical care at a hospital if they are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack or a stroke. The campaign is supported locally by UPMC and UPMC Health Plan, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, and WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital. The American Heart Association launched the campaign because it was concerned that people may be afraid to use emergency medical services due to the coronavirus.
The "Don't Die of Doubt" campaign emphasizes that the best chance to survive an acute event like a heart attack or stroke is to call 911 and get an ambulance to a hospital where the staff is fully prepared to treat people safely. When it comes to surviving a heart attack or a stroke, seconds count, and so doubting symptoms, and thereby delaying care, may prove deadly. Emergency responders, as well as doctors and nurses at the hospital, know what to do even when things seem chaotic, and emergency departments have made plans behind the scenes, including screening for COVID-19 symptoms, treating coronavirus patients in separate areas, and increased cleaning protocols to keep patients and workers safe.
Anyone facing a medical emergency is urged to seek help quickly. If something is not right, people should pay attention to the warning signs of heart attack and stroke and seek emergency care.
For more about this campaign and community resources, readers may visit http://www.heart.org/dontdieofdoubtcentralpa.
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