Heart disease does not decline in danger just because a viral pandemic dominates the news. Joanna Chikwe, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Smidt Heart Institute, says efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve may have serious consequences for patients with cardiac conditions.

"There is no way of knowing how many patients are dying at home of cardiac causes unrelated to COVID-19 because they have delayed seeking medical attention," says Chikwe, the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery in honor of Alfredo Trento, MD.

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Because patients may be nervous about contracting COVID-19 while seeking care for other conditions, heart-related admissions are down by more than 70% in many institutions, according to a study Chikwe co-authored that surveyed over 600 cardiac surgeons on five continents.

Chikwe also served as lead author on follow-up research providing guidance on measures that surgeons and hospitals can take to protect patients from the virus while they receive vital interventional cardiac care.