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A healthcare worker posted a TikTok video explaining why we're in a prolonged pandemic.

TikToker @eliicoco was shopping at a Ross clothing store and ran into a patient who had tested positive for COVID-19. How did she know? She had previously tested her and saw the result.

The masked healthcare worker filmed herself standing in line and panned over to the infected shopper who was also waiting to make her purchases.

The text overlay in the clip read:

“When you see the patient that you swabbed earlier who tested positive for Covid in the line at Ross.”

The TikToker, who was at a loss over the audacity of the knowingly sick patient going on a shopping spree, injected some levity in her caption with the hashtags #covidiots and #gohome.

She also casually mentioned the grave risk her violation posed to others.

"HAHAHA DEAD. We'll all be if y'all don't go home."

The brief clip ended with the following text.

"I told you to stay home and recover sis.”

The TikTok video was viewed over 1.6 million times.

Exasperated viewers sounded off in the comments, with many indicating the patient was being selfish by subjecting others in close physical proximity to infection.

@eliicoco/TikTok

@eliicoco/TikTok

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@eliicoco/TikTok

In late December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a shortened isolation period to five days for those who were asymptomatic or if their symptoms were resolving.

Some TikTokers imagined the CDC also came up shopping guidelines for sick patients.

@eliicoco/TikTok

@eliicoco/TikTok

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@eliicoco/TikTok

Others threw their hands up in the air in defeat.

@eliicoco/TikTok

@eliicoco/TikTok

@eliicoco/TikTok

@eliicoco/TikTok

@eliicoco/TikTok

While it's difficult to tell if the renegade patient infected other Ross customers that day, the chances of her spreading the viral pathogen would have been minimal had she been more courteous and responsible by staying home.