What is COVID-19?
- Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. These can range from the common cold to more serious diseases.
- COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new form of coronavirus. It was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan City in China.
- Other coronaviruses include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild illness to pneumonia. Some people will recover easily, and others may get very sick very quickly. People with coronavirus may experience symptoms such as:
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fever
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respiratory symptoms
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coughing
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sore throat
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shortness of breath.
- Other symptoms can include runny nose, acute blocked nose (congestion), headache, muscle or joint pains, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of sense of smell, altered sense of taste, loss of appetite and fatigue.
To stop the spread of COVID-19 people with even mild symptoms of respiratory infection should get tested.
Respiratory allergies – allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and allergic asthma
People who have hay fever or allergic asthma may have similar symptoms to the symptoms of COVID-19. Some differences are:
- fever does not occur with hay fever or allergic asthma
- itchy nose, itchy and watery eyes, and itchy throat and palate are common symptoms of hay fever but not COVID-19.
More information about the different symptoms is available in the COVID-19: Identifying the symptoms factsheet.
It can be difficult to tell if your symptoms are due to allergies or to COVID-19. You should stay home and get tested:
- when you first get the allergy symptoms, and
- if your symptoms are unexpected, seem different or worse than usual, or do not respond to your usual medication.
Dr Nick Coatsworth gives more information about allergies and testing for COVID-19 in his Top 3 questions from 15 September 2020 video.
If you are concerned you may have COVID-19:
- use the symptom checker
- see how to seek medical attention
- see more about how you can get tested.
How it spreads
The virus can spread from person to person through:
- close contact with an infectious person (including in the 48 hours before they had symptoms)
- contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze
- touching objects or surfaces (like doorknobs or tables) that have droplets from an infected person, and then touching your mouth or face.
COVID-19 is a new disease, so there is no existing immunity in our community. This means that COVID-19 could spread widely and quickly.
How to Protect Yourself and Others >>
Who is Most at Risk?
In Australia, the people most at risk of catching the virus are:
- travellers who have recently been overseas
- those who have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19
- people in correctional and detention facilities
- people in group residential settings.
You are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 if you:
- are age 70 years and older
- have certain conditions which compromise their immune systems.
You are at moderate risk of serious illness from COVID-19 if you:
If you have any medical conditions it is recommended you discuss your individual risk and what you can do to protect yourself with your treating doctor. See our advice for people at risk.
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. For more information about COVID-19 and children please read this fact sheet.
There is limited evidence at this time regarding the risk in pregnant women.