Which action is most appropriate when a patient with a respiratory infection has a negative COVID-19 test result but later develops fever and cough?

• A. Isolate the patient from others not wearing proper PPE.
• B. Ignore PPE and continue regular care.
• C. Place the patient on airborne isolation only.
• D. Discontinue all PPE precautions immediately.

Answer: (A)

When someone has a respiratory infection with fever and cough, stopping transmission relies on proper isolation and PPE, because a negative test for one pathogen doesn’t rule out others or a true early infection. Even with a negative COVID-19 result, the patient can still spread illness, so infection-control precautions must remain in place.

The most appropriate action is to keep the patient isolated from anyone who isn’t wearing the proper PPE and to ensure that all staff entering the room use the appropriate protective gear. This approach protects other patients and healthcare workers while you continue evaluation and testing for other possible pathogens and manage the illness.

Airborne isolation isn’t automatically required for every cough and fever scenario; it’s reserved for diseases known to spread via aerosols or when aerosol-generating procedures are involved. Ignoring PPE or discontinuing precautions would increase risk of transmission, which is why those options aren’t suitable.