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Pandemic’s toll also includes missed visits

The terrible toll of COVID-19 in the United States has cleared the grim threshold of 200,000 deaths. This is a true tragedy that is being compounded by the effect of the virus on society as a whole. Economic woes are one easily identifiable problem. Flying further under the radar are missed health care visits.

A report out this week indicates that low-income children are suffering, missing out on vaccinations, visits to the dentist and even mental health care. Visits dropped significantly for March through May 2020. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma says the consequences could be life-long for some children. Missing vaccinations, for instance, creates an increased risk of infectious disease, the very thing COVID restrictions are trying to limit.

Sadly, the data on these children aligns with what has happened for many adults, who have missed colonoscopies, mammograms and follow-ups for chronic conditions.

Clinics and hospital have adjusted in recent months to see more patients again, but we hope more thought and planning will go into how to best handle the next pandemic, so that an outbreak does not obliterate all the other good that health care services provide.

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