Coronavirus leads Houston children's hospital, largest of its kind in US, to admit adults
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The country’s largest pediatric hospital is now admitting adult patients in order to help out amid the coronavirus outbreak in Houston, according to a local report.
Texas Children’s Hospital is taking on adults as the COVID-19 outbreak strains the city’s health care system, according to Dallas-based Fox 4.
The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Harris County -- which includes Houston -- has nearly tripled since the start of the month, the outlet reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}12 TEXAS BARS HAVE ALCOHOL PERMITS SUSPENDED FOR VIOLATING CORONAVIRUS HEALTH PROTOCOLS
Texas Children’s will accept adult coronavirus patients in a special isolation ward and will also be treating adult patients for non-COVID-related ailments, according to the report.
Dr. Shubhada Hooli, an acute care pediatrician and scientist at the facility, tweeted that she’s “up for the challenge” but called on residents to help stop the spread.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Please help us out,” she wrote. “#WearAMask and stay home.”
With the state working toward its incremental economic reopening, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the recent spike in cases “unacceptable” Monday night.
TEXAS' ABBOTT CALLS STATE'S RECENT SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES 'UNACCEPTABLE'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in the state of Texas, and it must be corralled,” he said. “We have several strategies to reduce the spread without shutting Texas back down, but it is up to all of us to do our part to protect ourselves and others.”
He stressed that he wants “all Texans” to follow the state’s health guidelines to try and tamp down on the virus’ spread.
Those include staying home when sick or at risk, rigorously cleaning one’s hands, maintaining social distancing and wearing face coverings or masks in public.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“COVID-19 hasn't gone away, but neither has our ability to slow the spread of it,” he said.
And on Tuesday, he expanded local governments’ control over health-related rules for outdoor gatherings within their jurisdictions -- lowering the threshold from 500 to 100 people.
“These are just some of the steps Texas will take to contain the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” he said.
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Texas has seen more than 120,000 reported cases of the coronavirus, over 2,000 deaths and an estimated more than 70,000 recoveries, according to the state’s health department.
Harris County has reported the most with over 23,000 cases. Dallas County ranks second with just under 18,000.