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Testing and fever clinics — coronavirus (COVID-19)

If you’re feeling sick:

• Get tested today
• Stay home and isolate until you get the results and your symptoms resolve.

Testing helps us find as many cases in the community as quickly as possible. This will ensure we are doing everything we can to manage Queensland’s response to the pandemic.

If you have any of the following COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested:

Other symptoms people may experience include muscle or joint pain, and loss of appetite.

Call emergency services on 000 if you are very sick.

Where to get tested

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, you can visit:

Your local doctor

Before your appointment, please call ahead and tell them about your symptoms so they can prepare for your visit.

Fever clinics

Fever clinics are specialist clinics managed by Hospital and Health Services that assess people who may be infected with COVID-19. These clinics help to keep people who may be contagious away from other areas of hospitals and health centres. This helps to reduce the potential spread of the virus and keeps the emergency department available for emergencies.

Please be aware that during peak periods the wait times at our fever clinics could be a few hours. If your nearest testing facility is experiencing delays, please check other locations. Please check opening hours before leaving home and bring water, a hat and sunscreen with you in case you need it.

Please remember to social distance while you wait.

Testing clinics are available for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and are unwell. If you feel well and require a test (e.g. planning to return to your home country) you can visit a GP to be referred to a private pathology provider and avoid coming into contact with people who are unwell at the clinic.

To support Queensland’s response to COVID-19, people who do not have adequate insurance coverage and are not eligible for Medicare will not be charged out of pocket expenses if they present to any Queensland Health facility for assessment in relation to COVID-19 infection.

About the testing process

Testing for COVID-19 involves collecting nasal (inside your nose) or throat swabs, and/or sputum (mucus coughed up). These samples are then transferred to the nearest laboratory that is set up to test for COVID-19.

If you are tested for COVID-19 but aren't really sick, you will be sent home to isolate while you wait for the test results. This may take several days.

If you are really sick you may be admitted to hospital for treatment. If you become sicker while you are waiting for results, please contact your doctor or call an ambulance. Make sure you let them know you are waiting for test results for COVID-19.

If the result is positive, you will receive a call from a public health doctor or nurse who will tell you what to do next.

If the result is negative, your doctor or the clinic that tested you may let you know. Depending on where you got tested, you may just receive an automated SMS. If you have been issued with a notice telling you to self-quarantine, you must stay in self-quarantine until the end date written on the notice, even if you get a negative result. This is because you may still develop COVID-19 infection.

If you are waiting on a test result, the people you live with and other close contacts do not need to be in quarantine unless the local public health unit tells them to. They should stay away from the sick person as much as possible. If the test result is positive, they may be assessed as a close contact and will then need to be in quarantine.

Negative test results from Pathology Queensland

If you’ve been tested in a public Queensland Health facility and have not received any call or a SMS notification and would like to follow up your negative test result, you can call Pathology Queensland on 1800 472 847. Test results for those under 16 years old cannot be provided over the phone, but you can request a copy of the result to be sent to your GP.

Please wait at least 36-48 hours after your test was collected. This service is currently available from Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.30pm and Saturday and Sunday, 8.00am-4.00pm.

Hours may be extended during periods of expanded and surge testing.

Anyone who has had testing performed at Mater Pathology, QML, Sullivan & Nicolaides Pathology, MedLab or 4Cyte Pathology can get their results from their referring GP.