THE ULTIMATE SOCIAL DISTANCING: California doctors say they’ve seen more deaths from suicide than coronavirus since lockdowns

California doctors say they’ve seen more deaths from suicide than coronavirus since lockdowns

Doctors in Northern California say they have seen more deaths from suicide than they’ve seen from the coronavirus during the pandemic. 

“The numbers are unprecedented,” Dr. Michael deBoisblanc of John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California, told ABC 7 News about the increase of deaths by suicide, adding that he’s seen a “year’s worth of suicides” in the last four weeks alone. 

DeBoisblanc said he believes it’s time for California officials to end the stay-at-home order and let people back out into their communities. “Personally, I think it’s time,” he said. 

“I think, originally, this 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.” 

Kacey Hansen, a trauma center nurse at John Muir Medical Center for more than 30 years, says she’s worried not only about the increased suicide attempts but also about the hospital’s ability 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.”