Stroke patients are arriving at hospitals and treatment centers an average of more than two hours later than they should amid the coronavirus pandemic, new research reveals, imperiling their chance of survival.

A study published today in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery (JNIS) shows ischemic stroke patients are arriving to hospitals and treatment centers an average of 160 minutes later during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a similar timeframe in 2019.

Scientists assessed 710 patients presenting with acute ischemic strokes at 12 stroke centers across six states.

A new study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke patients' arrival time to hospitals.

"Our findings indicate a dire need for public education to address COVID-19 related fears to ensure people with stroke symptoms seek the lifesaving care they need without delay," he added.

Researchers also discovered a significant decrease in overall reported stroke patients, from 223 to 167, in these same treatment centers from February to March 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The longer patients wait before treatment, the greater the impact the stroke will have -- potentially paralyzing them for life, or worse.