Four days after exposure to COVID-19 a client has a negative COVID-19 test result. Eight days after the negative test result, the client presents with fever, fatigue, and cough and the nurse performs a second COVID-19 test. Which action is most important for the nurse to take?

Rationale: A. Report the COVID-19 result to the local health department according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines: Reporting is important for public health surveillance but is not the nurse’s most immediate priority. Isolation should occur first to prevent the spread of infection, especially before confirmatory test results are available. B. Isolate the client from other clients, family, and healthcare workers not wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE): Prompt isolation is the highest priority to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Even with a previous negative test, current symptoms suggest active infection, and precautions must be implemented immediately to protect others. C. Notify the charge nurse the client will need assignment to the COVID-19 specified area of the facility: While communication with the charge nurse is necessary for client placement, it should follow immediate implementation of infection control measures. D. Place the nasal swab specimen for COVID-19 directly into a biohazard bag: Proper specimen handling is critical for safety and test integrity but does not take precedence over isolating a potentially infectious client.