Health experts strongly suggest keeping up with preventative screenings during COVID-19 pandemic – KHOU.com

We can all agree that a trip to the doctors office is no fun but doctors said putting off primary care is not an option.

HOUSTON The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed health priorities for many people to the forefront of their lives while other things have been placed on the back burner.

However, healthcare experts warn preventative checkups shouldnt be one of them.

We can all agree that a trip to the doctors office is no fun but doctors said putting off primary care is not an option.

We clearly saw during the peak of the pandemic in the summertime, we had people delaying care and having worse outcomes than they should have had because they put off the emergent evaluation of symptoms, Dr. James McDeavitt, dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine said.

McDeavitt said ignoring health screenings can put you at risk.

When we look at the death rate for this past year unfortunately I think were going to see a death rate that exceeds COVID-19. Were going to see a higher rate of heart disease deaths and cancer deaths, and deaths from pulmonary disease, deaths from stroke because of care thats already been delayed, McDeavitt said.

In addition, UTHealth associate professor and pediatrician, Dr. Sandy McKay, said its not just adults. McKay said when it comes to children theres been a significant drop in vaccinations across the country.

Seeing as much as a 40% decline since COVID which is huge because these are vaccine-preventable illnesses that now children could be potentially be exposed to, McKay said.

She said regular checkups and care will help kids stay healthy during the pandemic.

We do not need to add something like measles or pertussis outbreak in a school which is going to add that much more layer of complexity to dealing with the pandemic, McKay said.

While most physicians have appointment availability both health experts encourage folks to take advantage of telemedicine if theyre concerned about visiting a doctors office. Their main goal is for you to stay on top of your health.

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Health experts strongly suggest keeping up with preventative screenings during COVID-19 pandemic - KHOU.com