Doctors and other health experts predict that, in the near future, the year-long delays in patients seeking medical care brought about by the pandemic could cause worsening health conditions, delayed diagnoses and earlier deaths.
At his clinic in East Los Angeles, Dr. Efrain Talamantes recently saw three patients — all seniors with dementia — who hadn’t visited his office in more than a year. Finally seeing them in-person, after they were vaccinated, felt like a huge victory. But Talamantes worries that many patients have slipped through the cracks, endangering their health by delaying care for their diseases during the pandemic.
“As we focus on recovery, we have to ensure that we get vaccinated,” Talamantes said, “but also that we have a concerted effort to manage the chronic diseases that haven’t received the attention required to avoid complications.”