COVID Information for Staff

All staff should follow the recommendations at the coronavirus website.

Since June 30 2023, there is no need (or process) to report your RAT result.

COVID is still in our community. Stay home if you're unwell and reduce the spread of the virus. Here's a guide for what you can do if you test positive for COVID-19.

1. Look after your health and check if you're eligible for treatment.

Most people will experience mild symptoms and be able to recover safely at home. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, chills, sweats, and/or shortness of breath.

• For mild symptoms - rest and recover at home.
• For worsening symptoms or if you are eligible for anti-viral treatment - contact a GP or GP Respiratory Clinic. You can also contact the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080. If you can't see a GP, you can contact the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department for urgent care.
• For severe symptoms get immediate help and call Triple Zero (000).

Certain groups are eligible for COVID medicines through a GP. To check your eligibility, see Antivirals and other medicines.

If you are eligible, it is important to speak to your GP as soon as possible, even if your symptoms are mild. The medicines are most effective if taken within 5 days of symptom onset and can prevent serious illness.

To manage your symptoms, remember:

• Rest: Sleep and take it easy
• Pain relief: Take paracetamol and ibuprofen as needed (pregnant people should not take ibuprofen)
• Water: Drink regularly throughout the day and have electrolyte drinks or icy poles for extra hydration
• Fresh air: When possible open windows or spend time in your back yard or balcony if you have them
• Speak to your GP: If your symptoms worsen, you may be eligible for medicines or antivirals.

Visit Managing COVID at home for tips and information about managing your symptoms.

2. Isolate and tell your contacts.

You are most infectious 2 days (48 hours) before your symptoms start, and while you have symptoms. It is recommended that you should isolate for at least 5 days and until you don’t have symptoms anymore.

This means you should not go to work, school or grocery shopping. Especially if you work with people at a higher risk of becoming very sick with COVID-19. (eg Community Care, Maternal Child Health and Immunisation)

While isolating, you should:

• Call your supervisor and let them know you have COVID-19. 
• Tell people and places you may have been in contact with and share the Checklist for COVID-19 Contacts.
• Organise the delivery of essentials like food, medications, and baby formula.
• Don’t work or visit a high-risk setting like hospitals, aged care, and disability services where there are people who are at a higher risk of becoming very sick or needing hospitalisation. 
• Isolate away from the other people in your household as much as possible to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
• If people come into your home, let them know that you have COVID-19 so that they can take steps to protect themselves.
• If you need to leave home in an emergency, remember to wear a face mask.

3. Ending isolation and recovering.

Ending isolation

Most people are still infectious after 5 days and you should stay home if you are still experiencing symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, or sweats.

A negative RAT result is a helpful tool to determine whether you are still infectious. If you’re unsure about ending your isolation, you should contact a GP or a GP Respiratory Clinic.

Wear a face mask when you leave home for at least 7 days after testing positive as you may still be infectious.

Recovering

Many people feel the impacts of COVID-19 beyond their infectious period. As with any illness, it’s important to return to your regular routine and activities slowly to allow your body the care and time to properly recover.

Long COVID is when symptoms continue for more than 3 months from when you were infected. Symptoms can vary and you should see your GP who can tell you how to best manage your condition. For more information, see Long COVID.

You should wait 6 months before getting your next dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure you get the maximum protection against the virus.

You may be able to contract COVID-19 again as early as 4 weeks after your recovery. You should get tested again after 4 weeks if you have new symptoms.

Reviewed 30 June 2023

Advice on what to do if you come in contact with someone who has COVID-19.

1. Notified as a contact

If you have contact with someone with COVID-19, you risk developing COVID-19 yourself.

Your risk of getting COVID-19 depends on how much contact you had with a person who was infectious with COVID-19.

A person is most infectious:

• in the 2 days (48 hours) before their symptoms start
• while they have acute symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever)

People without symptoms are also infectious around the time they test positive.

You are at a higher risk of getting COVID-19 if you are a close contact. You are a close contact if:

• you live with someone who has COVID-19, or stayed the night at their house or
• you spent more than 4 hours indoors in a house or other residence with a person who has COVID-19 while they were infectious.

Your risk of getting COVID-19 is lower if you are a social contact. You are a social contact if you were in contact with someone with COVID-19 at:

• work
• school
• childcare
• an event
• a social gathering.

2. Get tested

COVID-19 can take time to develop, so you should monitor for symptoms for at least 7 days after your last contact with the person who has COVID-19.

A close contact should regularly test for at least 7 days following their last contact with the person who has COVID-19.

A social contact should test if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

Testing options include:

• Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) - quick and accurate, particularly if you have symptoms, 
• PCR tests - for people who are at risk of becoming very sick with COVID-19.

If you are a close contact and work in a sensitive setting, such as hospitals and aged and disability care facilities, you should check with your workplace about testing and other precautions before returning to work.

You should stay at home if you feel unwell or have symptoms.

Find more information on testing and if you are eligible for free RATs, see Get a COVID-19 test.

If you test positive, see Checklist for COVID-19 cases for steps you need to take to protect yourself and others.

3. Follow protective behaviours.

Even if you test negative, follow these recommended steps to protect those around you:

• avoid visiting sensitive settings such as hospitals and aged care facilities for at least 7 days:
  • close contacts are strongly recommended not to visit sensitive settings. If you need to visit, you should test negative before your visit and wear a mask
  • social contacts should test negative before your visit and wear a mask
• wear a mask when leaving the house, including on public transport, at work, school, and other indoor spaces, especially if you're a close contact
• let fresh air into your home or other indoor spaces by opening windows, where possible
• monitor for symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, cough, or fever/chills, and stay home and test if they present.

4. Plan ahead

Having a plan if you test positive for COVID-19 can help you recover more easily at home and give you quicker access to COVID medicines if you're eligible. Start by:

• finding out if you are eligible for COVID medicines by answering some simple questions.
• making sure you are up to date with your vaccinations.
• checking out our tips to prepare for isolation.

Speak to a GP about how many doses of vaccine are recommended for you, what COVID medicines are available, and what you might need to do to prepare.

Reviewed 14th June 2023.

2023 booster dose

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has updated their recommendation for COVID-19 booster doses in 2023. 

Eligible people will be able to get their booster dose from 20 February 2023. Use the vaccine clinic finder to book an appointment with your local pharmacy or GP.

Vaccine boosters protect you from getting very sick with newer variants of COVID-19. Most Victorians have had 2 vaccine doses (also called a primary course). Once you have had these you can get your third dose, called a 'booster'. People who have had at least 1 booster are less likely to go to hospital and less likely to die, than people who have had 2 doses.

Everyone aged 16 years and older can have one booster.

Everyone aged 30 years and older can have two boosters. Currently, Boosters should be 3 months apart. If you are aged 18 years and older booster doses can be the bivalent vaccine which targets different variants.

From 20th February this year, a 2023 booster dose is available if your last COVID-19 vaccine dose or confirmed infection (whichever is the most recent) was 6 months ago or longer, and regardless of the number of prior doses received, 

All boosters are free for all Victorians. 

Who can get vaccinated?

The following guide is vaccination doses recommended by age:

• 6 months to 5 years – you can have a primary course if eligible.
• 5 years and older – you can have the primary course and, if eligible, one booster
• 16 years and older – you can have the primary course and one booster. A second booster if eligible
• 30 years and older – you can the primary course and 2 boosters.

People who are pregnant

People who are pregnant are at higher risk of becoming very sick with COVID-19 and can get vaccinated at any point during pregnancy.

People who are trying to get pregnant or are breastfeeding can also get vaccinated.

People with individual health needs

Some children and adults have individual health needs that affect which vaccine they get and how many doses. They may also be able to get additional support to get vaccinated. These groups should speak to their GP or specialist. They include children and adults with:

• a disability
• a severely compromised immune system
• complex or multiple health conditions.

For more information about getting vaccinated for these groups, see Additional vaccination information for specific groups.

Which vaccine can you get?

For your primary course:

• if aged between 6 months and 5 years, you can choose the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
• if aged between 5 and 11 years, you can receive the Pfizer vaccine.
• if aged between 12 and 17 years, you can choose the Pfizer or Novavax vaccine.
• if aged 18 years and older, you can choose the Pfizer, Novavax or AstraZeneca vaccine.

You may need additional doses based on your medical condition. Please speak with your healthcare professional.

For booster doses, if you are eligible:

• children aged between 5 and 11 years can receive the Pfizer vaccine.
• children aged between 12 and 17 years can choose the Pfizer or Novavax vaccine.
• adults aged 18 years and older can choose the Pfizer, Pfizer bivalent, Moderna bivalent, Novavax or AstraZeneca vaccine.

Before your appointment

If you have any concerns about your health and getting the COVID-19 vaccine you can:

• speak to a GP or health professional.
• call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080.

You should bring a face mask, confirmation of your appointment, and a Medicare Card or Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) number if you have them.

Tell your provider if you are allergic to any ingredients in any COVID-19 vaccine or have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or medicines in the past.

For more information about the different vaccines and how they work, see About COVID-19 vaccines.

After your appointment

You will be asked to wait 15 minutes after getting a vaccine. This is to make sure you are feeling okay, and the provider can respond to any issues.

For a couple of days after a vaccine you might experience:

• pain where you had the injection
• muscle ache
• headache
• fever.

These side effects are mild and a sign the vaccine is working. Speak to a GP if they become severe or are not going away after a few days.

All vaccines have a rare risk of severe side effects. Your provider will share what to watch for. If you experience these side effects, you should talk to a GP immediately.

For more information about vaccine side effects see About COVID-19 vaccines.

Further information can be found at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

(Reviewed 14 February 2023)