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Our Frequently Asked Questions section provides answers to many of the most commonly asked questions.
Please check these factsheets to see if the information you are seeking is available. If not and you have an urgent query, refer back to our Contact Us form .
If you are exposed to COVID-19 within 12 weeks of your positive test result, you do not need to quarantine or get tested for COVID-19 again. You can continue to attend work, education, and sensitive settings within this 12 week period. Following the 12 week period you are subject to the current testing and isolation requirements if you are exposed or test positive for COVID-19.
If you are a confirmed case, you will receive a text message from the Department of Health that asks you to complete a short form about your symptoms. Depending on the symptoms you report, you may be placed in COVID-19 Positive Care Pathways program, which means that a healthcare professional will contact you regularly to help monitor your symptoms.
For most people with COVID-19, recovering at home will the best option for care because they only experience mild symptoms like a runny nose, aches and pains, dry cough or headache that are best treated with rest or over-the-counter medication like paracetamol. For more information about managing your symptoms at home, visit the Victorian Government website.
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If your symptoms worsen, contact your GP or other healthcare professional. If you have severe symptoms like difficulty breathing or chest pain, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Most children who get COVID-19 will develop a mild infection, similar to that of a common cold, or the flu. Symptoms usually last between 2-7 days and the risk of hospitalisation is low.
If your child is asymptomatic or has mild symptoms, you can manage COVID-19 at home.
If your child’s symptoms worsen, contact your GP or Nurse on Call for advice.
If your child has severe symptoms – like difficulty breathing, chest pain or discomfort, fainting, coughing up blood – then call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
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For more information please read Kids Health Information factsheet, produced by the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Step 1: Focus on your health and get help if you need it. If your symptoms are mild, you can manage COVID at home. If your symptoms worsen, contact your GP or other healthcare professional. If you have severe symptoms like difficulty breathing or chest pain, call Triple Zero (000)
Step 2: Report your result and immediately isolate for 7 days
Step 3: Tell your household and household-like contacts, there are steps they must take
Step 4: Tell your social contacts to get tested if they have symptoms
Step 5: Tell your workplace and/or education facility that you have tested positive.
For detailed information, visit the Victorian Government’s Checklist for COVID cases web page.
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If you have received a positive test result for COVID-19, you need to remain in isolation for 7 days from the date of the test that showed a positive result. After day 7, you can leave your place of isolation. You DO NOT need to get another test to be released. If you are unsure of when your isolation date ends, check your isolation order or positive test result sent to you by SMS or email.
Here is an example of how to calculate your day 0:
Wednesday 6 October- tested for COVID-19 (day 0)
Thursday 7 October- received positive test result for COVID-19 (day 1)
Wednesday 13 October- Free to leave isolation (Day 7)
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