People not seeking urgent medical care over coronavirus fears, doctors say

ORLANDO, Fla. - Central Florida doctors are concerned that people are not seeking urgent medical care because they fear going to the hospital during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Doctors say they are seeing people not going to the hospital when they need emergency care because they are worried. 

"With this pandemic, there has been generally a tendency for patients to not come to the hospital because of fear of getting an infection," said Dr. Rajesh Shah, of AdventHealth. "People are presenting with heart attacks, cardiac arrests for patients who we may have been able to help much earlier"

In a press conference Sunday, Orlando Health said they are very concerned that patients are not taking care of urgent medical needs. 

"This is a surge of itself, really, in unmet medical needs," said Dr. George Ralls, with Orlando Health. 

They're telling people not to avoid the hospital, saying they're taking measures to keep people safe by wearing masks, screening people limiting visitors. 

Dr. Shah says it's important to listen to your body and seek hospital treatment if you need it. 

"Trust your body. You know yourself the best," Dr. Shah said. "Seek care sooner than later because our opportunity to help those in a much earlier stage of a stroke or heart attack, the outcome is so much better than if we wait too long."