What You Need To Know About Coronavirus (COVID-19)

What you need to know

People who have returned from a country or region that is at high or moderate risk for COVID-19 should monitor their health closely. If you develop symptoms including a fever and cough you should isolate yourself immediately and urgently seek medical attention.  Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers for the list of at-risk countries.

People who think they may have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus should also monitor their health and seek urgent medical attention.

While coronavirus is of concern, it is important to remember that most people displaying symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or tiredness are likely suffering with a cold or other respiratory illness – not coronavirus.

What is a coronavirus and COVID-19?

Coronaviruses can make humans and animals sick. Some coronaviruses can cause illness similar to the common cold and others can cause more serious diseases, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). This new coronavirus originated in Hubei Province, China and the disease outbreak is named COVID-19.

How is this coronavirus spread?

The coronavirus is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:

• direct close contact with a person while they are infectious
• close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes, or
• touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, and then touching your mouth or face.

Most infections are only transmitted by people when they have symptoms. These can include fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness and shortness of breath.

How can we help prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. You should:

• wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
• cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
• and if unwell, avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 metres from people).

Who needs to isolate?

Specific requirements are in place for people who have returned from a country or region that is at high or moderate risk for COVID-19, or think may they have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers for the list of at-risk countries and isolation requirements.

What does isolate in your home mean?

People who must isolate need to stay at home and must not attend public places, in particular work, school, childcare or university. Only people who usually live in the household should be in the home.

Do not allow visitors into the home. Where possible, get others such as friends or family who are not required to be isolated to get food or other necessities for you. If you must leave the home, such as to seek medical care, wear a mask if you have one. For more information visit www.health.gov.au/covid19-resources

What do I do if I develop symptoms?

If you develop symptoms (fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath) within 14 days of leaving country or region that is at higher risk for COVID-19, or within 14 days of last contact of a confirmed case, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers for the current list of high or moderate risk countries.

You should telephone the health clinic or hospital before you arrive and tell them your travel history or that you may have been in contact with a potential case of coronavirus. You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe for you to return to your usual activities.

Who is most at risk of a serious illness?

Some people who are infected may not get sick at all, some will get mild symptoms from which they will recover easily, and others may become very ill, very quickly. From previous experience with other coronaviruses, the people at most risk of serious infection are:

• people with compromised immune systems (e.g. cancer)
• elderly people
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as they have higher rates of chronic illness
• people with diagnosed chronic medical conditions
• very young children and babies*
• people in group residential settings
• people in detention facilities.

*At this stage the risk to children and babies, and the role children play in the transmission of COVID-19, is not clear. However, there has so far been a low rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases among children, relative to the broader population.

How is the virus treated?

There is no specific treatment for coronaviruses. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. Most of the symptoms can be treated with supportive medical care.

Should I wear a face mask?

You do not need to wear a mask if you are healthy. While the use of masks can help to prevent transmission of disease from infected patients to others, masks are not currently recommended for use by healthy members of the public for the prevention of infections like coronavirus.

More information

For the latest advice, information and resources, go to www.health.gov.au

Call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450.

If you have concerns about your health, or suspecting that you may have been infected,  CALL the National Hotline on: 1800 675 398 or the Barwon Health Triage Facility Hotline on: 03 4215 8000 for further advice

You may also use this self-assessment tool: http://bit.ly/2w6aU1l

The phone number of your state or territory public health agency is available at www.health.gov.au/state-territory-contacts

PATIENTS: Please be advised we are unable to test for coronavirus due to having exhausted or supply of testing equipment and protective clothing. We are waiting on urgent resupply of this and at this point DO NOT have the equipment to test for Coronavirus.

DO NOT ENTER THIS MEDICAL FACILITY IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR CORONAVIRUS TEST

The symptoms are:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle pain and
• Fatigue
• Currently also to be tested you need to have recently travelled overseas to an infected country or have been in CLOSE CONTACT with a person who has tested positive.

Please call the National Hotline on:  1800 675 398

OR the Barwon Health Triage Facility Hotline on:   03 4215 8000

or use this self-assessment tool: http://bit.ly/2w6aU1l

If you seek testing for coronavirus please DO NOT ENTER this facility as the may put at risk patients who will be in danger if they contract the virus. Please self quarantine and call the hotline number for further advice.

PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THIS MEDICAL PRACTICE IF YOU SUSPECT YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS