Milwaukee County experiencing a death toll beyond the disease itself.
Milwaukee County’s Emergency Medical Services Division has seen a drastic increase in calls for mental health concerns and drug overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking at Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls during March and April, and comparing them to calls during the same months in 2019, a startling picture emerges.
There has been a 70 percent increase in EMS responses to mental health concerns, a 54 percent increase in responses to drug overdoses and a “very concerning” 80 percent increase in responses to suicide attempts, said Dr. Ben Weston, director of Medical Services for Milwaukee County.
Graham Kilmer – Urban Milwaukee – May 7, 2020.