Fear of seeking care in hospitals overwhelmed by the pandemic may have caused thousands of deaths as federal data analysis from five hard-hit states and New York City points to 8,300 more deaths from heart problems than would have been typical from March through May. That is an increase of roughly 27% over historical averages. The spike led to Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and New York state and the city having a combined 75,000 “excess deaths” during that three-month period. The review suggests that many patients suffering from serious conditions died as a result of delaying or not seeking care as the pandemic progressed in the U.S. Read more.