Stroke Surgeons: Don`t Ignore Stroke Symptoms Due to COVID-19 Fears

PRESS RELEASE

As the nation deals with a historic pandemic, stroke surgeons with the Get Ahead of Stroke campaign are warning Americans about the risk of disability or death for individuals who might ignore stroke symptoms out of fear of overreacting or being sent to a hospital where they face exposure to COVID-19.

Dr. Donald Frei, a stroke surgeon and past president of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) says every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Nearly 20%—140,000 annually—die from their condition, and many more are left permanently disabled.

“Stroke does not respect our concerns about coronavirus. Even in this time of uncertainty, it is critical to pay attention to any symptoms of stroke and to call 911 right away,” said Dr. Frei. “When getting stroke treatment, know that time is brain—meaning that every minute of delay before a stroke patient receives the care they need reduces their chance at a full recovery.”

In the case of the most serious strokes—known as an Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion (ELVO)—up to two million brain cells die each minute. The longer a patient waits before they are treated, the greater the impact the stroke will have—potentially paralyzing them for life or worse. Ultimately, every minute of delay before a patient receives stroke care will mean an extra week of recovery.  

Dr. Frei says individuals should use the FAST method to assess any potential symptoms in themselves or their loved ones—Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call 911. This is especially important if you’ve already experienced COVID-19 or the flu. Flu can increase your odds of having a stroke by almost 40—and that added risk remains for a full year. Flu-like illnesses also are linked to an increased risk of stroke and neck artery dissections.

“We know that severe stroke treatments like neuroendovascular surgery can save lives and reduce disability, but only if patients get to us in time,” said Dr. Frei. “Even during this pandemic, we still need to overreact to stroke symptoms and always dial 9-1-1. If we don’t, we risk losing even more lives."

Get Ahead of Stroke is a national public education and advocacy campaign designed to improve systems of care for stroke patients. Founded in 2016 by the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS), today the campaign is supported by a coalition of organizations with the goal of securing the best possible outcomes for stroke patients by driving policy change and public awareness nationwide.

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