Update
ICOT, I believe that your guess is correct. I know there are other electrical boxes that are covered because I painted them (heh heh). Rather than ruin the paint job to try and run a wire through a ceiling that probably does not have a big enough hole, I decided to leave well enough alone and leave both the light and the fan connected to the switch.
yobwej, that’s good advice, but my method is that if I feel uncomfortable doing the work without a licensed electrician I just leave it alone 🙂