Guidelines for a person diagnosed with COVID-19 or symptoms of an acute respiratory infection in Queensland

Who these guidelines apply to

These guidelines apply to a person in Queensland that has tested positive to COVID-19 within the previous 5 days, or a person who has any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection.

If you test positive to COVID-19, you should follow the First steps if you have COVID-19 and the guidelines on this page.

The guidelines have been developed to provide evidence-based information and advice to people on managing symptoms of COVID-19. However, some people are at greater risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Additional public health measures are recommended to protect high risk groups. For more information on high-risk groups see Groups at high risk of severe disease below.

These guidelines have been developed by Queensland Health as public health advice and are not a legal requirement under a Public Health Direction or other legislated framework.

Symptoms of an acute respiratory infection

Symptoms of an acute respiratory infection include the recent onset of new or worsening respiratory symptoms including cough, breathing difficulty, sore throat or runny nose/nasal congestion with or without other symptoms.

Other symptoms may include:

• headache, muscle aches (myalgia), fatigue, nausea or vomiting and diarrhoea. Loss of smell and taste and loss of appetite can also occur with COVID-19, but may be less common with new variants
• fever (≥37.5°C) can occur, however is less common in elderly individuals
• in the elderly, other symptoms to consider are new onset or increase in confusion, change in behaviour, falling, or exacerbation of underlying chronic illness (e.g. increasing shortness of breath in someone with congestive heart failure).

You should get tested for COVID-19 if you have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection.

The healthdirect Australia COVID-19 Symptom Checker can help you understand symptoms and possible signs of illness, causes and complications and guide you to the appropriate healthcare action.

What to do if you have tested positive or have symptoms of COVID-19

Feeling sick? Stay home to isolate. Get tested

Stay at home while you are infectious

Keeping your distance from other people is an effective way of reducing the spread of all respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. You should stay at home during the infectious period of a disease to help prevent transmission.

In addition, if you develop any new or worsening symptoms of an acute respiratory infection, you should get tested for COVID-19.

Queensland Health strongly recommends that, except in exceptional circumstances and where medical care is required, you should stay home to isolate while you have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection, until:

• your acute respiratory symptoms have substantially reduced AND
• you have gone for at least 24 hours without a fever without using fever-reducing medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Additional protections to prevent transmission of COVID-19

Except in an exceptional circumstance or where medical treatment is required, a person who has tested positive to COVID-19 within the previous 5 days or a person who has any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection should not enter a hospital, residential aged care facility or disability accommodation service.

Individuals should for at least 5 days following either the onset of acute respiratory infection symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test (whichever was first):

• wear a face mask covering your nose and mouth whenever you are in an indoor setting outside the home
• avoid contact with people who are at higher risk of severe COVID-19
• wash your hands regularly
• practice good respiratory hygiene (such as covering your cough)
• advise your household, social and workplace contacts that you have recently had COVID-19 or have symptoms of an acute respiratory infection and advise them to monitor for symptoms and get tested if they become symptomatic. They should follow Queensland Health’s guidelines for close contacts.

Returning to work or school

Queensland Health strongly recommends that you should stay home to isolate while you have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection. You should not return to work or school until:

• your acute respiratory symptoms have substantially reduced AND
• you have gone for at least 24 hours without a fever without using fever-reducing medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, some employers or education settings may impose restrictions or conditions on people who have recently tested positive to COVID-19 or had any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection.

Before returning to school or work, you may be required to notify your employer or education provider that you have been diagnosed with, or had symptoms of, COVID-19 and you should follow any additional requirements put in place by your employer or education provider to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

In addition, if returning to work or school within 5 days after receiving a positive COVID-19 test result or the onset of acute respiratory infection symptoms (whichever was first), you should:

• wear a face mask covering your nose and mouth whenever you are in an indoor setting outside the home – masks are recommended for children over the age of 12, and for any children under the age of 12 where it is safe for them to do so
• avoid contact with people who are a higher risk of severe disease
• wash your hands regularly
• practice good respiratory hygiene (such as covering your cough)
• advise others you have been are in contact with to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested if they become symptomatic.

Re-exposure and reinfection after recovering from COVID-19

Reinfection is possible following a recent or prior recovery from COVID-19. Different strains of COVID-19 are more likely to cause reinfections than others and people who are significantly immunocompromised are at greater risk of reinfection.

If you have previously recovered from COVID-19 and at least 35 days have passed since receiving a positive COVID-19 test result it is possible for you to be reinfected. If you come into contact with a COVID-19 case you should follow Queensland Health’s guidelines for close contacts.

If you have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection and at least 35 days have passed since receiving a positive COVID-19 test result you should get tested for COVID-19.

Groups at high risk of severe disease

While most people who get COVID-19 will recover without any special treatment or needing to go to hospital, some people are at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19. There are specific guidelines for people who may be more vulnerable to the risk of severe disease from COVID-19. If you belong to one of the following groups, you should discuss your risk and make a plan for how to protect yourself with your general practitioner or treating specialist.

• Increasing age is the most important risk factor for severe disease, with risk significantly increasing around 60-70 years of age
• Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people are also at greater risk of severe disease. This includes people not up-to-date with recommended booster vaccinations.

In addition, a person may be at greater risk of serious COVID-19 illness if they:

• have an underlying health condition, with the risk of severe disease increasing with the number, severity and nature of comorbidities
• are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed
• are a person with disability
• identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin
• are pregnant.

Further information is available on the Commonwealth Department of Health’s website: Risk factors for more serious illness. If you need information or advice on COVID-19, you can call the Australian Government’s National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080 – 24 hours a days 7 days a week.

If you are at risk of severe illness you may be eligible for antivirals or other early treatments for COVID-19. They work best when taken as soon as possible, usually within 5 days from when your symptoms first start.

If you are in a group that is more vulnerable or at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19, it is very important you contact your GP or treating specialist for advice on testing or treatment for COVID-19 as soon as you receive a positive test or develop any new or worsening symptoms of an acute respiratory infection.

High-risk settings

Some settings and workplaces are considered higher risk because there are people more vulnerable or at higher risk of severe disease or higher risk of widespread transmission of COVID-19.

In Queensland, high-risk setting includes:

• a hospital
• a residential aged care facility
• a disability accommodation service

If you have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection you should avoid entering a high-risk setting until:

• At least 5 days following either the onset of symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test (whichever was first), and
• acute respiratory symptoms and fever have resolved, and
• you are able to comply with any additional infection prevention measures required.

There are specific considerations for facility operators and staff in these settings to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Operators may impose restrictions or conditions to reduce the risks in that setting, such as:

• isolation processes for patients and residents
• conditions or restrictions for staff returning to work after a COVID-19 infection
• restrictions on visitors attending the high-risk setting, such as a requirement to wear a face mask or take other precautions.

If you are a patient or resident of a high-risk setting and you have tested positive to COVID-19 or have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection you should notify your facility so they can appropriately implement local processes to reduce the risk of transmission within the facility.

You should comply with any additional requirements or conditions put in place by an operator to reduce widespread transmission of COVID-19 in a high-risk setting.

If you have tested positive to COVID-19 within the previous 5 days or have any symptoms of an acute respiratory infection and there are extenuating compassionate reasons for visiting a high-risk setting (e.g., an end-of-life visit), you should contact the facility to discuss how this can be safely arranged.

There are no restrictions or limitations when entering a high-risk facility if you require medical care, are giving birth or are a birthing support person, or if you are receiving, or supporting someone to receive, aged care or disability services.

However, you should advise the facility you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have acute respiratory symptoms. You should follow any directions provided to manage the risk to protect patients, residents, clients, visitors and staff.

Outside of the facilities and services mentioned above, you should consider what extra precautions and personal actions you can take to protect vulnerable family or community members, such as wearing a face mask even if you are well, cleaning your hands regularly, and staying away and testing if you have any acute respiratory symptoms.

Entering or returning to work in a high-risk workplace or setting

If you work in a high-risk setting and have been diagnosed with COVID-19, you should only return to your workplace if:

• At least 5 days has passed since either the onset of symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test (whichever was first), and
• acute respiratory symptoms and fever have resolved, and
• you are able to comply with any additional infection prevention measures required.

If you have tested positive to COVID-19 and work in a high-risk setting, you should work from home where practicable. You should talk to your employer to discuss options available to you and any additional measures to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 transmission in your workplace.

Protecting against the risks of COVID-19 transmission

In times of widespread community transmission, it is important for everyone to take personal actions to minimise transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.

Evidence has shown that universal public health measures are simple and effective in reducing COVID-19 transmission where a range of measures are applied by individuals, communities and organisations, such as:

• wearing a face mask covering your nose and mouth when indoors or where physical distancing cannot be maintained outdoors
• washing your hands regularly
• practicing good respiratory hygiene (such as covering your cough)
• maintaining physical distance from others
• ensuring good ventilation and improving indoor air quality (such as opening windows, leaving a door open when people are gathered in a meeting room or checking air conditioning settings to reduce recirculation of air).

Protecting against COVID-19 risks in the workplace

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 employers should take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of workers, including protecting against COVID-19 risks.

Workplaces and businesses should undertake a workplace assessment to identify the level of risk of COVID-19 transmission and seek independent advice to inform any control measures to assist in managing work health and safety obligations.

Workplaces can adopt a hierarchy of controls to mitigate against the introduction and spread of COVID-19, including:

• workers self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms and not attending work if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are otherwise unwell
• promoting basic transmission prevention or reduction measures such as personal hygiene practices, physical distancing and ventilation
• effective and timely communication about COVID-19 and ongoing workplace safety training
• promoting application of standard and transmission-based precautions through education and training
• providing and promoting use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace, such as a face mask, relevant to the immediate risk environment. Employers should respect and support requests by an employee to use a higher level of PPE than required by the workplace.

You should follow any additional requirements or conditions put in place by an operator or business to reduce the risks to staff and others in that setting as prescribed by Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare (2019) | NHMRC and Infection prevention and control guidance (including PPE advice) | COVID-19 | Queensland Health.