Reduced rate of hospital admissions for ACS during Covid-19 outbreak in northern Italy

The study examines the trend of hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients hospitalized for ACS in 15 hospitals in northern Italy, from February 20 to March 31, 2020. Hospitalization rates were compared with two control periods: the same period in the previous year and an earlier period in the same year. The results show a significant reduction in ACS hospitalizations during the outbreak, with a 26% decrease compared to the previous year and the earlier period of the same year. The reduction was more marked after the national lockdown was implemented on March 8, 2020. This decrease may suggest that some ACS patients did not seek medical assistance, leading to an increase in mortality, not fully explained by Covid-19 cases alone.