Parents cite COVID-19 concerns in waiting to take sick kids to hospital

Concerns over COVID-19 have many of you hesitant to go to a hospital and fewer children have been admitted to the ER since the pandemic began. Parents having concerns over the coronavirus is a top reason, and because kids aren’t getting the immediate medical attention they need, Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers said they’re seeing kids come in much sicker.

“We’ve seen almost a three-fold increase in the amount of appendicitis cases that are coming into our emergency department and are already perforated. That’s an indication that they had probably been at home in some pain for some time prior to coming into the emergency department,” said Alyssa Bostwick, chief nurse.

Melissa Engler is a good example of this. She said she waited to bring her son to the ER after he felt some stomach pain. Initially, what she thought was food poisoning was much worse. Her son’s appendix had ruptured and it left him in the hospital for six days.

“Because of the COVID, we were reluctant to seek out treatment very quickly. And unfortunately, because we waited, his condition was a lot more serious … because of a perforated appendix,” Engler said.

Golisano Children’s Hospital also stressed that parents shouldn’t worry about visitation. You’ll never be separated from your child and two visitors are now permitted in the building.