Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, is admitting anyone age 26 and under to help other hospitals in the area that are near capacity due to COVID-19, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
As of Nov. 16, Nationwide Children's will accept young adults referred to it by OhioHealth, Mount Carmel Health System or Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, all in Columbus. The new policy excludes patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and the children's hospital said adults should first seek treatment at an adult emergency department, according to the report.
"In the spirit of local collaboration during this unprecedented pandemic, Nationwide Children's Hospital has the ability to temporarily admit select young adult patients," the hospital said in a statement, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
As of Nov. 16, there were 3,387 Ohioans hospitalized with COVID-19, including 850 in intensive care units, according to the report.