The Covid-19 pandemic, with its mishandling and resultant chaos, has left a trail of unseen tragedies, particularly in healthcare. A striking example is the delay in diagnosing other health issues, a fallout that’s now coming to light. A striking instance of this is in England, where, according to a recent BJU International study, around 20,000 prostate cancer diagnoses were missed solely due to the pandemic’s impact.
This alarming figure comes from England, home to about 56 million people – just a fraction of the U.S. population. Both the U.S. and U.K. have faced severe criticism for their pandemic responses, with leaders in both countries prematurely declaring victory over the virus. If we extrapolate England’s data to the U.S., we’re potentially looking at over 100,000 men in both countries left in a harrowing state of “what if?” What if the healthcare systems had been more robust during the pandemic? What if their prostate cancer had been detected earlier, before it advanced?
The study’s authors, hailing from the University of Surrey, the University of Oxford, and the OpenSAFELY Collaborative, dove into the OpenSAFELY-TPP dataset, encompassing roughly 40% of England’s population. They analyzed prostate cancer rates from January 2015 through July 2023, noticing a significant decline in diagnoses post-March 2020 – when the pandemic began impacting healthcare services.
The numbers tell a story of missed opportunities. The year 2020 alone saw a 31% decrease in prostate cancer reports, and 2021 wasn’t much better. These weren’t due to any miraculous decrease in cancer occurrence but were likely a result of men missing critical screenings like PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams.
The American Cancer Society advises regular prostate screenings starting at varying ages, depending on risk factors. Delay in these screenings can mean a delay in diagnosis, which is crucial for effective treatment and survival. Dr. Shawn Dason from The Ohio State University College of Medicine emphasizes that while prostate cancer is treatable, delays can lead to the cancer spreading, complicating treatment and diminishing survival chances.
It’s tempting for leaders to shrug off these issues as unforeseeable consequences of the pandemic. However, warnings about a potential pandemic had been voiced well before Covid-19 struck, with experts like Bill Gates cautioning about our preparedness. The disarray seen in 2020 and beyond shows a clear neglect of these warnings.
Looking forward, it’s essential to bolster healthcare systems to withstand future pandemics. This includes ensuring adequate supplies of PPE, proper infection control procedures, sufficient staffing, and effective telehealth services. At the same time, there’s a pressing need to address the backlog in healthcare, providing patients with the care they’ve sorely missed.
About Clear Health Pass™
Clear Health Pass™ is a bioinformatics, bio-surveillance, and health diagnostic platform for humans and Pets. Clear Health Pass™ is a minority/veteran-operated organization in partnership as tribal is a portfolio partner of The Native American Venture Fund (NAVF). Clear Health Pass Holdings, LLC, DBA Clear Health Pass™ is an appointed “Tribal Agent” for The Blue Lake Rancheria Economic Development Corporation (BLREDC), a federal, Section 17 Tribal Corporation, whose tribal sovereignty’s authority is derived from The Indian Reorganization Act Of 1934 (IRA), 25 U.S.C. § 477.
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