Neurointerventionalists with the Get Ahead of Stroke campaign say that in the case of the most serious strokes—known as an emergent large vessel occlusions (ELVO)—up to two million brain cells die each minute. The longer patients wait before treatment, the greater the impact the stroke will have—potentially paralyzing them for life, or worse. Additionally, for every minute lost before receiving appropriate care, there is an associated medical cost of $1,000 for short- and long-term care. A 160-minute delay amounts to the loss of 320 million brain cells and $160,000 in additional medical costs.
"When it comes to stroke treatment, every minute counts. My colleagues and I have been devastated to see patients arriving at the hospital too late for us to help them," said the study's lead author Dr. Clemens Schirmer who is based at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania. "Our findings indicate a dire need for public education to address COVID-19 related fears to ensure people with stroke symptoms seek the lifesaving care they need without delay." End quote
