DERRY, N.H. (WHDH) - Some coronavirus cases may be going unreported in New Hampshire because, when a person dies outside of a hospital, testing is done on a case-by-case basis.
The test is performed by a medical examiner and of the 35 tests, one of them has come back positive.
“That’s the reason concern was raised,” Battalion Chief Scott Haggart said.
The Derry Fire Department is now pushing for all people who die at home or in assisted living facilities to be swabbed for the virus.
“We have encountered cases when the medical examiner have been deceased at home where the medical examiner was not able to come out,” Haggart said.
The fire department said that 911 calls are down and that is raising major concerns with doctors who fear that some who are sick are never making it into the emergency room.
Parkland Medical Center in Derry has seen at least a 30 percent drop in patients in the ER.
“I’ve seen heart attacks, strokes, people telling me they didn’t come because they were concerned about getting the virus,” Dr. Marc Grossman said.
The hospital said it is ready to treat anything.
Areas sealed in plastic have been set up to separate patients and doctors said they do not want people with potentially life-threatening conditions waiting to get the help they may need.
“The outcome was definitely worse when they waited, and they should not have waited. People shouldn’t wait if they are having an emergency,” Grossman said.
The hope is that by taking these steps, the state will be able to gather more accurate coronavirus data.
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