Diagnosing Bacterial Infection in the era of Pandemic: A Case Report

In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era, physicians’ clinical decision-making is often distorted. A man in his 60s presented with an already-subsided cough and anxiety about COVID-19. The physician was influenced by the patient’s anxiety and stuck to exclusion of COVID-19. The patient was finally diagnosed with sepsis caused by obstructive pyelonephritis. The key point for diagnosis was physicians’ awareness that the patient took slow and heavy steps. To confront the challenge of making an appropriate diagnosis of bacterial infection in the era of COVID-19, physicians should be aware of diagnostic biases and watch patients’ general appearance closely.