https://abc7news.com/suicide-covid-19-coronavirus-rates-during-pandemic-death-by/6201962/
Walnut Creek is across the bay from San Francisco, just on the other side of Mount Diablo.
It is a reasonably wealthy area, with incomes about 50% greater than the US average.
Walnut Creek is across the bay from San Francisco, just on the other side of Mount Diablo.
It is a reasonably wealthy area, with incomes about 50% greater than the US average.
Quote:
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- Doctors at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek say they have seen more deaths by suicide during this quarantine period than deaths from the COVID-19 virus.
The head of the trauma in the department believes mental health is suffering so much, it is time to end the shelter-in-place order.
"Personally I think it's time," said Dr. Mike deBoisblanc. "I think, originally, this (the shelter-in-place order) was put in place to flatten the curve and to make sure hospitals have the resources to take care of COVID patients.We have the current resources to do that and our other community health is suffering."
The numbers are unprecedented, he said.
"We've never seen numbers like this, in such a short period of time," he said. "I mean we've seen a year's worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks."
Kacey Hansen has worked as a trauma nurse at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for almost 33 years. She is worried because not only are they seeing more suicide attempts, she says they are not able to save as many patients as usual.
"What I have seen recently, I have never seen before," Hansen said. "I have never seen so much intentional injury."
