Splinter MJ, Velek P, Ikram MK, et al. - During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a substantial decline in consultation rates in both primary and specialist care when compared to prepandemic levels. The postponement or cancellation of elective and nonurgent medical care can partially explain these declines. Researchers sought to determine the extent to which these declines in consultation rates could be related to healthcare avoidance by patients in the general population.

• A total of 8,732 participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study were sent a paper questionnaire that contained several COVID-19–related subjects, such as healthcare utilization, work status, mental and physical health, and concerns about contracting COVID-19.

• Nearly 6,241 participants (73%) responded to the questionnaire; the analysis was performed including 5,656 participants (90.6%).

• Healthcare was avoided by a total of 1,142 participants (20.2%) during the COVID-19 pandemic, often for symptoms that might have required urgent medical evaluation, such as limb weakness (13.6%), palpitations (10.8%), and chest pain (10.2%).

• Female gender, poor self-appreciated health, and high levels of depression and anxiety were the determinants that were most strongly linked with healthcare avoidance.