Coronavirus Daily Briefing: Officials caution against avoiding medical care, skipping preventative vaccinations

Minnesota health officials provided the latest update on the COVID-19 situation in Minnesota on Monday afternoon.

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann talked about the importance of getting preventative vaccinations and other care, seeking emergency medical attention when necessary and staying vigilant in fighting the spread of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that emergency room visits have declined 42% in the U.S. since the pandemic began. Health officials believe that sort of medical decline is implausible and, therefore, believe people either are avoiding seeking emergency medical care or haven’t been able to access the necessary care.

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While the pandemic may have played a role in that decline, Malcolm and Ehresmann urged anyone with serious health conditions or signs of serious health issues, such as chest pains or signs of a stroke, to get immediate medical attention.

Malcolm and Ehresmann also highlighted the importance of people still getting preventative care, particularly vaccinations and especially children. Ehresmann said, even in a pandemic, it’s extremely important for parents to get their children appointments with doctors to get vaccinated and protect them against serious illnesses in both the short-term and long-term.

"As we take our eye off some of these other very, very critical preventative measures we may see some very tragic consequences," Malcolm said.

"I think it’s even more important as we deal with a pandemic on top of it," Ehresmann said, adding that Minnesotans are likely familiar with the 2017 measles outbreak. She urged people to take advantage of the tools we have to prevent infectious diseases so it doesn’t compound the current pandemic.

Some other highlights of Monday’s daily briefing call include:

• MDH isn’t actively recommending any treatments for COVID-19. While some newer studies are suggesting certain treatments have been successful, Malcolm said MDH passes along advisories issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and then waits for peer-reviewed data. However, Dr. Ruth Lynfield, with MDH, does participate in weekly calls with other health officials, and MDH got another shipment of remdesivir last week.
• Some recent reports have suggested people who get tested for the virus got false negatives. MDH said it’s important to remember that no test is 100% accurate, but for those who’ve tested negative and then tested positive for COVID-19 a short time later, Ehresmann said the virus population in each person has to be at a certain level to be detected by the tests. She said that’s why MDH told people to wait five to seven days to get tested after participating in a mass gathering because the population of the virus needs to reach that level that is detectable in testing.
• As testing in Minnesota has ramped up and become more widespread, Ehresmann said they’ve seen some really positive outcomes, particularly in congregate care settings.
• Ehresmann said MDH has started seeing some cases, particularly in younger age ranges, that suggest people may not believe COVID-19 is a big deal for them. However, MDH urged everyone to do their part to prevent the spread of the virus and also to consider the effects on others and the state as a whole.
• Monday’s daily COVID-19 report in Minnesota reported just four deaths, which is the fewest in the state since April 13, and saw the number of patients in the ICU drop to 156, the lowest since May 3. Malcolm and Ehresmann called it a very positive sign and credited learning how to handle the virus, in part, but urged continued caution as cases continue to rise in other states because the situation in Minnesota could quickly change, too.

Minnesota sees 4 additional COVID-19 deaths, 308 new positive cases