May is Stroke Awareness Month. Neurologists always emphasize the value of a speedy response when someone recognizes signs of a stroke – and especially after a year of people expressing fears of contracting COVID-19 during a hospital visit.

Dr. William Lou, a neurology fellow at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says stroke treatments have come far, but the effectiveness of treatment is often predicted by the speed with which the patient takes action. Generally speaking, the faster a patient gets help, the better their outcome.

COVID-19 led hospitals everywhere to change their infection-control protocols, and attention to those safety details has never been higher. People who might have experienced a stroke should not delay care for fear of COVID-19, Lou says. 

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