AUTHOR=Nan Jing , Zhang Tong , Tian Yali , Song Ke , Li Qun , Fu Qiang , Ma Yan , Jin Zening 

TITLE=Impact of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on the Performance of a Cardiovascular Department in a Non-epidemic Center in Beijing, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.630816

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2021.630816

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=Background: The impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the performance of a cardiovascular department in a medical referral hub from a non-epidemic center in China is limited.
Method: The data on the total number of non-emergence medical cares and emergence medical cares before and during the pandemic (time before the pandemic:20th January 2019 to 31st March 2019 and time during the pandemic: 20th January 2020 to 31st March 2020) in the department of cardiology and macrovascular, Beijing Tiantan Hospital,Capital Medical University were collected and compared.
Results: Both the non-emergence medical cares and emergence medical cares were affected by the pandemic. The total number of out-patient clinic attendance decreased 44.8% and the total number of patients who were hospitalized in non-intensive care ward decreased 56.4%. The total number of patients who underwent non-emergence cardiac intervention procedures decreased although there were no statistically significant except for PFO occlusion. As for the emergence medical cares, the ED attendance decreased 22.4% however the total number of CPC attendance increased 10.3%. The number of patients who were hospitalized in CCU increased 8.9%. Also, the proportion of patients who were hospitalized for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients increased. Also the number of patients who underwent primary PCI increased 10.3% during the COVID-19 pandemic in our center. There was no significant difference between patients before and during the pandemic regarding to the age, gender, baseline and discharge medication therapy as well as length of stay and in-hospital mortality. 
Conclusions: Our preliminary result demonstrates that both the non-emergence and emergence medical cares were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic even in a referral medical center with low cross-infection risk.  A hub and spoke model could potentially reduce the collateral damage to the patients with CVDs and remain the mortality rate for ACS patients who underwent intervention procedures.