While COVID-19 has gotten all the healthcare headlines lately, the Berrien County Health Department doesn’t want people to forget other, more basic health needs. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News people have let certain things go.
“Adults and children have been going without some of the preventative medical care that they might have needed during the time in which we were under stay at home orders and at the height of the pandemic here in the United States,” Conrad said.
Conrad says now is the time to take care of those things again. Whether it’s diabetes or high blood pressure that ails you, she says you’ve got to get back to the doctor to address it.
“Untreated and uncontrolled chronic conditions, especially those like high blood pressure, diabetes, COPD, all of those can really complicate COVID-19 and result in higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and even death.”
Conrad also notes as many as 40% of American children have missed out on scheduled vaccinations during the pandemic. She advises parents to get them back on track by calling their doctor or the health department.
