A sick child with fever and cough comes to the office with his father who had just returned from overseas. What should you do?

Correct answer: B. Take both father and son to an isolated room

• A. While reporting may eventually be required, the IMMEDIATE action is physical separation/isolation. Calling takes time while the infectious patient remains in the waiting room.
• B. A child with fever and cough who recently returned from international travel (possible emerging infection, TB, COVID, or other respiratory illness) should be immediately SEPARATED from the general patient population. Taking BOTH the child AND the accompanying adult to an ISOLATED ROOM prevents potential airborne or droplet transmission to other patients and staff. This is the infection control triage response.
• C. Treating a febrile patient with cough and travel history without infection control precautions is inappropriate and dangerous.
• D. Giving only the parent a mask does not adequately protect other patients and staff from a potentially infectious child.