The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Demand for Emergency Ambulances in Victoria, Australia
Emily Andrew, Ziad Nehme, Michael Stephenson, Tony Walker, Karen Smith
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on the emergency ambulance system. Despite lower call volumes post-lockdown than predicted, we observed deteriorating ambulance response times, extended case times and hospital delays. The pattern of attendance to patients with suspected ACS potentially highlights the collateral burden of delaying treatment for urgent conditions.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PandemicMedicine2019-20 coronavirus outbreakMedical emergencySevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Emergency medical servicesEmergency medicineVirologyOutbreakInfectious disease (medical specialty)PathologyDiseaseEmergency and Acute Care StudiesTrauma and Emergency Care StudiesDisaster Response and Management