Health Talk Live: Increased Risk of Stroke During COVID-19

In this segment of TriHealth’s Health Talk Live, Local 12’s Liz Bonis talks with Christopher Zammit MD, a critical care specialist with TriHealth, about some concerning data regarding strokes during COVID-19. Dr. Zammit explains what, exactly, a stroke is, and why patients with COVID-19 are at an increased risk for a stroke. He also shares data showing the dangerous trend of patients with stroke symptoms seeking emergency care much later since the outbreak of COVID-19 and urges you to be familiar with the signs of a stroke and tells why it’s important to seek care immediately if you or a loved one experiences them.

Signs of a Stroke: BEFAST

In order to determine if you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, follow the BEFAST method:

• Balance - Watch for a sudden loss of balance.
• Eyes - Is there a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes? Or double vision?
• Face - Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• Arms - Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech - Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
• Time - If you observe any of these signs, it's time to call 911.

Have a question for future segments of Health Talk Live? You can share them with Liz via her Facebook page, Twitter or email.