Collateral Effect of Covid-19 on Stroke Evaluation in the United States

This letter to the editor explores the indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke care in the United States. Using data from over 850 hospitals employing RAPID neuroimaging software, the authors observed a 39% decline in patients undergoing imaging for acute ischemic stroke during the early pandemic period. The analysis compares prepandemic and early-pandemic epochs, demonstrating widespread reductions across age groups, stroke severity, and geographic regions. These findings suggest that decreased imaging was not due to localized outbreaks but rather a broader collateral effect of the pandemic response on non-COVID medical care.

This letter to the editor explores the indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke care in the United States. Using data from over 850 hospitals employing RAPID neuroimaging software, the authors observed a 39% decline in patients undergoing imaging for acute ischemic stroke during the early pandemic period. The analysis compares prepandemic and early-pandemic epochs, demonstrating widespread reductions across age groups, stroke severity, and geographic regions. These findings suggest that decreased imaging was not due to localized outbreaks but rather a broader collateral effect of the pandemic response on non-COVID medical care.