Doctor visits nearly flatline during the pandemic

A new report from JAMA Network Open shows an unsettling drop in doctor visits

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - In just a few months the Corona Virus succeeded in derailing everyone's lives. Schedules were tossed, routines were shattered and people had to find new ways to function.

Among the sacrifices were people's social lives, productivity, and for many their employment. But, one sacrifice comes as a shock.

Americans faced a deadly health crisis and according to a report from the JAMA Network Open, an open-access journal produced by the American Medical Association many Americans opted not to visit their doctors.

According to the report, 40% of Americans simply put their healthcare on the back burner. In another report from the insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield in just the past year and a half, there has been a drop of 12% of cases of preventative care.

Dr. Darren Wethers the Vice President of Clinical Operations for Blue Cross Blue Shield says that the reports are alarming. Dr. Wethers says that those visits can mean the difference between life and death.

Dr. Wethers points out that cancer screenings can improve the chances of survival if caught early.