Scenario

• A person who returns from overseas is feeling unwell, and decides to undergo a COVID- 19 test. She is not sure whether she is suffering from the seasonal influenza, or whether she had contracted COVID-19 There is a large backlog in COVID-19 test results which can take 10 to 14 days before they are released. Rapid COVID-19 tests are not yet available in the country. A specialist needs to know the COVID-19 status of the patient, before he can engage in any treatment to address her condition.

–If the COVID-19 test results are not available to the specialist before he begins to treat the patient, what should he do to ensure that the treatment is not compromised? Explain your answer.