Texas children's hospital begins admitting adults as coronavirus cases surge

Source: The Hill | June 23, 2020 | Joseph Guzman

To create additional capacity for COVID-19 patients, the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston is admitting adults.

A children’s hospital in Houston, Texas, is now accepting adult patients to help provide additional beds for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients as cases and hospitalizations in the state continue to rise. 

The Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston said late Monday it is providing additional capacity through Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and acute care beds across its campuses to both pediatric and adult patients, according to KHOU. 

Adult patients with COVID-19 will be cared for in an expanded special isolation unit at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus in the city of Katy, just outside Houston. The hospital is also admitting adults who don’t have COVID-19 to help hospitals free up bed space for COVID-19 patients. 

“Just like that – in Houston we, the pediatricians at Texas Children’s Hospital, will now start seeing adult patients. I’m up for the challenge, but please help us out. #Wearamask  and stay home. I guess it’s time to retire my giraffe reflex hammer…,” Shubhada Hooli, a doctor at Texas Children’s Hospital, tweeted Monday night. 

Other hospitals in the Houston area are also readying to activate their surge plans to expand available ICU beds above normal capacities. 

On Monday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner voiced concerns about the spike in coronavirus cases in the city, saying “we are moving very fast in the wrong direction,” according to ABC 13. 

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Monday said rates of coronavirus hospitalizations in the state averaged more than 3,200 per day over the last four to five days, a significant jump from the second half of May when about 1,600 people were hospitalized daily.

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The governor said, however, Texas would remain open for business, emphasizing the need for residents to wear masks, wash their hands and maintain social distancing to stop the spread of the virus.

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