EMS says that between March 1 and April 25, it received 4,000 cardiac arrest calls -- that's two times more than the previous year.
The FDNY says the 3,600 deaths that resulted indicate that COVID-19 directly or indirectly has played a role.
The death rate for cardiac arrests this is year is more than 90 percent. In 2019, it was around 75%.
A new study found that cardiac arrest patients in 2020 were on average older and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes and physical limitations than last year. They were also less likely to be white.
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