“It shouldn’t be a deterrent to seek emergent care because of COVID,” says Dr. David Carr. “You need to come here. We’re a safe place for you to come.”

There’s been a lot of talk recently about how and when we can re-open society—and particualry what opens—as the COVID-19 curve hits its peak and potentially flattens in the weeks ahead.

Increasingly, some doctors and the Canadian Medical Association say that it’s hospitals that need to open more to non-COVID-19 cases. They’re warning of a backlog of other serious illnesses, including cancer and heart attacks, that could be going untreated. Some of this is because potential patients themselves are worried about COVID-19 risks at hospitals and are not going to ERs until it’s too late.

Adrian Cheung talks to Dr. David Carr, an emergency room doctor in Toronto, about why hospitals should restart for non-COVID-19 patients and the worries behind the “collateral damage.”

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