Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Stroke Care and Potential Solutions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak became paramount, medical care for other devastating diseases was negatively impacted. In this study, we investigated the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on stroke care across China. METHODS:Data from the Big Data Observatory Platform for Stroke of China consisting of 280 hospitals across China demonstrated a significant drop in the number of cases of thrombolysis and thrombectomy. We designed a survey to investigate the major changes during the COVID-19 outbreak and potential causes of these changes. The survey was distributed to the leaders of stroke centers in these 280 hospitals. RESULTS:From the data of Big Data Observatory Platform for Stroke of China, the total number of thrombolysis and thrombectomy cases dropped 26.7% (P