This Coronavirus known as COVID-19 is a viral infection that causes an infection in your nose, sinus, lower lungs or upper throat causing illness ranging from the common cold to more severe acute respiratory conditions.
Human coronaviruses are spread from someone infected with COVID-19 virus to other close contacts with that person through contaminated droplets spread by coughing or sneezing, or by contact with contaminated hands, surfaces or objects.
The time between when a person is exposed to the virus and when symptoms first appear is typically 5 to 6 days, although may range from 2 to 14 days. For this reason, people who might have been in contact with a confirmed case are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
Most COVID-19 cases appear to be spread from people who have symptoms. A small number of people may have beeninfectious before their symptoms developed.
Most people who get the virus will experience flu-like symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.
The most sensible option is to avoid close contact with people, particularly those who are sick. While it is sometimes difficult to distance yourself from a customer in store there are still measures you can take to try and prevent the spread of the virus:
People who have symptoms and might be infected with COVID-19 are required to stay in isolation at home and should wear a surgical face mask when in the same room as another person and when seeking medical advice to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to anyone else.
There is currently no vaccine or antiviral to prevent or treat the virus. Those affected will receive care to relieve symptoms and most patients will recover due to this supportive care.
We are here to support you, so let’s look at the various steps you need to take:
The internet is probably your most accessible option, yet you should be aware that no one particular source is perfect and to remain sceptical of conspiracy theories and fake news.
You could learn more from a global perspective by visiting www.cdc.gov or the World Health Organisation www.who.int or you could find WHO in your country, which will then give you a more localised update.
Yes, the illness can be fatal. The most at risk are the elderly and the very young or patients with pre-existing conditions.
Yes, people who’ve travelled overseas on personal trips need to declare before they leave the country.
Yes, so that your leave may be treated as sick leave . Please contact your HR representative or line manager for region specific information.
No, Please seek guidance from your nearest medical practitioner.
Yes, all gatherings of more than 20 people are not allowed.
A pandemic is an epidemic (infectious disease outbreak) that spreads on a global scale. Pandemics usually occur when a new infectious disease emerges that can spread rapidly around the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020. This COVID-19 pandemic is the first caused by a coronavirus.
A pandemic can occur when a new virus emerges and there is worldwide spread of the disease. Most people do not have immunity to a new virus. Viruses that have caused past pandemics usually come from animal viruses that have mutated to affect humans.
For a new virus to have pandemic potential it must meet three criteria:
On 11 March WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The WHO used this declaration to call for urgent and aggressive action. They noted that this is a pandemic that can be controlled. Both China and the Republic of Korea have significantly declining outbreaks.
On 30 January, the WHO declared that COVID-19 was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In the last two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 has increased substantially and the number of affected countries has tripled (WHO).
The health impact of a pandemic on the community depends on how easily the virus can be spread between people (i.e. transmissibility) and the seriousness of the illness it causes (i.e. clinical severity). Healthcare systems can limit the impact on a community by slowing the spread of the infection between people and increasing the ability of the healthcare system to look after people who do get sick.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause illness in humans and others cause illness in animals, such as bats, camels, and civets. Human coronaviruses generally cause mild illness, such as the common cold.
Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect and spread among humans, causing severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which emerged in 2002, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) which emerged in 2012.
COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. It was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, where it has caused a large and ongoing outbreak. It has since spread more widely in China. Cases have since been identified in several other countries. The COVID-19 virus is closely related to a bat coronavirus.
There is much more to learn about how COVID-19 is spread, its severity, and other features associated with the virus; epidemiological and clinical investigations are ongoing.
Outbreaks of new coronavirus infections among people are always a public health concern. The situation is evolving rapidly.
Human coronaviruses are spread from someone infected with COVID-19 virus to other close contacts with that person through contaminated droplets spread by coughing or sneezing, or by contact with contaminated hands, surfaces or objects.
The time between when a person is exposed to the virus and when symptoms first appear is typically 5 to 6 days, although may range from 2 to 14 days. For this reason, people who might have been in contact with a confirmed case are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
Most COVID-19 cases appear to be spread from people who have symptoms. A small number of people may have been infectious before their symptoms developed.
According to the World Health Organization, it is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with a common household disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
The first symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza (flu) infections are often very similar. They both cause fever and similar respiratory symptoms, which can then range from mild through to severe disease, and sometimes can be fatal.
Both viruses are also transmitted in the same way, by coughing or sneezing, or by contact with hands, surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus. As a result, the same public health measures, such as hand hygiene (hand washing), good respiratory etiquette (coughing into your elbow or into a tissue and immediately disposing of the tissue) and good household cleaning are important actions to prevent both infections.
The speed of transmission is an important difference between the two viruses. Influenza typically has a shorter incubation period (the time from infection to appearance of symptoms) than COVID-19. This means that influenza can spread faster than COVID-19.
While the range of symptoms for the two viruses is similar, the fraction with severe disease appears to be higher for COVID-19. While most people have mild symptoms, approximately 15% of people have severe infections and 5% require intensive care in a hospital ICU. The proportions of severe and critical COVID-19 infections are higher than for influenza infections.
For a list of higher risk countries, refer to Department of Health – COVID-19: Countries and regions considered to pose a risk of transmission.
If you have been in, departed from, or transited through a higher risk country in the last 14 days, you should:
The risk of exposure to COVID-19 is believed to be highest for those people who have travelled through a higher risk country. However, there are an increasing number of other countries at risk of COVID-19.
If you have travelled overseas to another country in the past 14 days you should self-monitor for symptoms, practice social distancing as much as possible and immediately isolate yourself if you become unwell.
Social distancing means separating yourself from other people as much as possible when you’re in public places, and avoiding crowded places.
Practically, you should:
During the 14 days you are asked to practice social distancing, you can travel to work or school using public transport if you have no other way of travelling there. Please try to separate yourself from other passengers as much as possible
You should also:
Social distancing is an effective measure, but it is recognised that it cannot be practised in all situations and the aim is to reduce potential for transmission. It is important that everyone does their part to limit spread of COVID-19. This will help protect vulnerable people in our community and reduce the burden on our hospitals.
If you develop a fever or respiratory symptoms, please: call your doctor. When you call, tell them where you have travelled.
or (if your symptoms are severe)
It is important if you have symptoms you should not go to work, school/university/childcare, the gym, or public areas, and you should not use public transport, taxis, or ride-sharing services. If you need to seek medical care wear a surgical mask if available when attending.
The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly. You are encouraged to focus on:
The infection period for the virus will vary from person to person. Mild symptoms in an otherwise healthy individual may resolve over just a few days. Similar to influenza, for an individual with other ongoing health issues, such as a respiratory condition, recovery may take weeks and in severe cases could be potentially fatal.
Infection with COVID-19 is diagnosed by finding evidence of the virus in respiratory samples such as swabs from the back of the nose and throat or fluid from the lungs. Testing for COVID-19 is done in public health laboratories.
You need to isolate yourself at home for 14 days after contact with the infected person, and to monitor your health and report any symptoms.
Person to person spread of coronaviruses generally occurs between people who are close contacts with one another. A close contact is typically someone who has been face to face for at least 15 minutes, or been in the same closed space for at least 2 hours, with a person that was infectious. The public health unit will keep in touch with people who are close contacts of patients with COVID-19 infection. If any symptoms develop contacts must call the public health unit to report those symptoms.
If your contact with the person was less than this, there is a much smaller risk of you being infected. However, as a precaution you must still monitor your health until 14 days after you were last exposed to the infectious person. If you develop symptoms including a fever and/or respiratory signs, please seek medical attention. Tell your doctor that you have been in contact with someone with COVID-19. The doctor may tell you to attend your nearest emergency department – if so when you arrive, immediately tell staff you have had contact with someone with COVID-19. Please contact the control tower on if you have come into contact with a person with COVID-19.
If a close contact develops symptoms and is confirmed as a COVID-19 case, public health authorities will determine who, if anyone, has been in close contact with them while they were infectious, and these people will be directed to self-isolate. Please contact the control tower on if you have come into contact with a contact.
People who have:
As there is increasing community transmission in a number of countries around the world, anyone who has travelled overseas in the past 14 days is at increased risk.
People with underlying illnesses that make them more vulnerable to respiratory disease, including those with diabetes, chronic lung disease, kidney failure, people with suppressed immune systems and older people are at a higher risk of serious disease.
There are no vaccines that protect against COVID-19.
There is no specific treatment for COVID-19. Early diagnosis and general supportive care are important. Most of the time, symptoms will resolve on their own. People who have serious disease with complications can be cared for in hospital.
Testing protocols and processes depend on your country. Please contact your Government health services for more information on when, where and how to get tested.
The best way to protect yourself is the same as you would against any respiratory infection. Practice good hygiene by:
People with confirmed COVID-19 infection stay in isolation under the care of medical specialists until they are no longer experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Before they are released from isolation, they have tests to see if they still have COVID-19 and the specialist care team assesses they are no longer infectious. Once they are discharged, they have a follow up assessment by the medical team to make sure they remain well.
Yes, It is important that you get clearance from medical authorities before returning to work, school, university or other settings
Yes, especially If you develop fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath and other symptoms and have travelled overseas in the 14 days before developing symptoms, you should see your GP or visit your local Emergency Department to be tested for COVID-19.
If you become unwell with these symptoms without travel you should see your local GP and discuss your symptoms. There are other illnesses such as influenza that your GP may wish to test you for that can cause your symptoms.
Yes. If you are sharing your home with others, you should stay in a different room from other people or be separated as much as possible. Wear a surgical mask when you are in the same room as another person, and when seeking medical care. Use a separate bathroom, if available.
Make sure that you do not share a room with people who are at risk of severe disease, such as elderly people and those who have heart, lung or kidney conditions, and diabetes.
Visitors who do not have an essential need to be in the home should not visit while you are isolating.
If you need groceries or medicines (including prescription medicines), ask a family member or friend (who is not in isolation) to deliver them to your home or shop for groceries online. To prevent infecting other people, make sure you wear a mask when receiving a delivery or have the groceries left at your door.
Social distancing is an effective measure, but it is recognised that it cannot be practised in all situations and the aim is to generally reduce potential for transmission.
Social distancing includes:
There is also no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19. However, since animals can spread other diseases to people, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals.