Medically Reviewed
At the beginning of the pandemic, skipping routine screenings seemed like a good idea. Now experts say there may be dire consequences.
Yuliya Baranych/iStock
Last March, when the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, many medical facilities shuttered themselves to everyone but those suffering from the virus or in need of necessary medical care.
The thinking: Spare medical facilities for the unfolding emergency and avoid exposing people seeking nonemergency medical care to the virus. Preventive care could wait.
But as the pandemic raged on, concern grew among cancer experts around one issue in particular: screening.
Cancer screening provides one of the best ways to find cancer early, at a time when it s most treatable. With few exceptions, multiple cancer screening tests are recommended for early cancer detection across any adult’s lifetime.