Fig. 1

Initial care pathway developed through a combination of national guidance and expert opinion before being presented to the interviewees. Patient areas are designated as one of three zones: Red, Amber, and Green depending on the clinical suspicion or diagnosis of COVID-19. Early triage of initial symptoms determines whether the patient is isolated prior to additional tests being ordered, or cohorted together in a separate area. Only when a positive SARS-CoV-2 test is returned, or a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 given following additional tests, e.g. chest X-ray, is the patient transferred to a Red zone. *Indicates areas in which, due to the external prevalence, the zoning criteria may change. In these cases, with a high prevalence the decision to assign a patient to a Red zone may be taken on clinical suspicion alone to improve patient flow. Additionally, with a high prevalence a single negative SARS-CoV-2 result may not be enough to justify admission into a Green zone